President-elect Barack Obama made a now-famous Election Night promise to his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7: "You've earned that new puppy that is coming with us to the White House."
There's no taking it back now - he said it front of a hundred thousand people in Grant Park, Chicago and hundreds of millions of television viewers worldwide.
Obama's was the first acceptance speech in U.S. history to include the mention of a family pet, though presidential pets certainly have received their share of the limelight. The White House website has an entire section devoted to the pets that have occupied their masters' chambers, and there is even a Presidential Pets Museum in Williamsburg, Va.
There hasn't been a president in residence in the White House in a long, long time who did not own a dog. Not since Woodrow Wilson, in fact.
Most presidential dogs were purebreds - a notable exception was Lyndon Johnson's mixed breed, which he named J. Edgar - but Obama hopes to adopt a "mutt" for his daughters - from a shelter where there are "mutts like me," our 44th president said in his first news conference as president-elect.
Obama disclosed that the family will need to find a "hypoallergenic" dog because his daughter Malia has allergies.
Dr. Jack Boden, veterinarian at Imperial Animal Hospital on St. Thomas, said that dogs that don't shed are the best option for people who suffer from allergies. When a dog sheds, the skin attached to the root of the hair follicle - skin that contains the protein to which some people are allergic - breaks up into small particles that can be breathed in, Boden said.
Frequently brushing the dog is good for both the dog and owner who suffers from allergies because it stimulates oils in the skin to keep the coat shiny and gets rid of fur that would otherwise be spread throughout the house.
"By and large, short-haired dogs with single coats - no undercoat - seem to be the best recommendation for allergy sufferers," said Boden.
Some of the breeds and mixes that are considered hypoallergenic are Chihuahuas - both long-hair and short-hair - Bichon Frisé, Greyhound, Schnauzer, Poodle, Goldendoodle or any Poodle hybrid, Yorkshire, Silky Terrier and any from a long list of non-shedding terriers.
Many websites have emerged to help the Obama family find a dog, including www. obamafamilydog.com, and thousands of people have given opinions on personal blogs and on news websites.
But since the Obamas have stated they would like to get a dog from a shelter, what better place than from one here in the Virgin Islands?
If the Obamas are interested in Chihuahuas, The Humane Society on St. Thomas has three cute little Chihuahua-mix puppies up for adoption. The three are 2-month-old sisters found in the Crown Bay area and brought into the shelter on Oct. 19. All are in good health and have up-to-date shots. Dolly is a short hair mix and has a cream coat with a little touch of white, and Loretta and Reba are both tan with short hair. All three have sweet dispositions, the Humane Society staff say.
On St. Croix, the Animal Welfare Center has more than 100 dogs waiting for adoption, and most are mixed breeds.
Shortly before Election Day, the AWC put two of the mixed breed puppies up for adoption: "Obama," a black and white Crucian mix, and "McCain," a lab-bulldog mix. McCain was adopted the day before the election, but "Obama" is still waiting for a home.
A White House would be nice - big lawn, lots of room to run, two adoring little girls to play fetch with.
"Obama" has qualities of "leadership and and can-do attitude" said Animal Welfare Center's communications director, Gretchen Sherrill.
Other St. Croix shelter puppies that might work for the Obamas are "Sticky," a black terrier mix with longish fur and brown eyes, and "Chrissy," also a terrier mix. "Chrissy" has short tan fur with a white chest and belly and a dark brown face.
"I think it'd be great to have a Crucian in the White House; we'd love for the Virgin Islands to be represented through man's best friend," said Sherrill.
To find out about animals for adoption on St. Croix, call 778-1650, on St. John, call 774-1625 and on St. Thomas, call 775-0599.
First dogs
The dogs that belonged to the presidents of the United States. As Harry Truman said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."
- George Washington: Mopsey, Taster, Cloe, Tipler, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweetlips and Searcher, all foxhounds.
- Thomas Jefferson: Briards and foxhounds.
- James Monroe: Spaniel.
- John Tyler: Le Beau, a greyhound.
- Abraham Lincoln: Jip and Fido, unknown breeds.
- Ulysses S. Grant: Faithful, a Newfoundland.
- Rutherford B. Hayes: Grim, a greyhound; Duke, an English mastiff; Hector, a Newfoundland; Dot, a terrier.
- Grover Cleveland: Unnamed Japanese poodle.
- Benjamin Harrison: Dash and various dogs of unknown breeds.
- Theodore Roosevelt: Pete, a bull terrier; Sailor Boy, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever; Skip, a mixed breed; Manchu, a Pekingese; Jack and Peter, both terriers.
- Woodrow Wilson: Davie, an Airedale.
- Warden Harding: Laddie Boy, an Airedale; Old Boy, a bulldog.
- Calvin Coolidge: Peter Pan, a terrier; Paul Pry, an Airedale; Rob Roy, a white collie; Prudence Prim, a white collie; Calamity Jane, a Shetland sheepdog; Tiny Tim and Blackberry, both Chow Chows; Ruby Rough, a collie; Boston Beans, a bulldog; King Kole, a German shepherd; Bessie, a collie; and Palo Alto, a setter.
- Herbert Hoover: King Tut, a German shepherd; Big Ben and Sonnie, both fox terriers; Glen, a Scottish collie; Yukonan, an Eski.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: Fala, a Scottish terrier; Majora, a German shepherd; Meggie, a Scottish terrier; Winks, a Llewellyn setter; Tiny, an English sheepdog; President, a Great Dane; and Blaze, a mastiff.
- Harry S. Truman: Feller, a cocker spaniel; and Mike, an Irish setter.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower: Heidi, a Weimaraner.
- John F. Kennedy: Charlie, a Welsh terrier; Shannan, an Irish cocker spaniel plus their puppies: Blackie, Butterfly, Streaker, and White Tips. Also, Pushinka, a gift from the premier of Russia, who was the daughter of Laika, the first dog in space.
- Lyndon B. Johnson: Him and Her, both beagles; Freckles, their puppy; Blanco, a white collie; Yuki, a mixed breed; J. Edgar, a mixed breed.
- Richard Nixon: Vicky, a poodle; Pasha, a Yorkshire terrier; and King Timahoe, an Irish setter. Checkers, a cocker spaniel, immortalized in a 1952 political speech by vice presidential candidate Nixon, died five years before Nixon was elected president.
- Gerald Ford: Liberty, a golden retriever.
- Jimmy Carter: Grits, a mixed breed.
- Ronald Reagan: Lucky, a Bouvier des Flandres; Rex, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- George H. W.Bush: Millie*, a springer spaniel; Ranger and Spot, two of Millie's puppies.
- Bill Clinton: Buddy, a Chocolate Labrador.
- George W. Bush: Spot, Millie's daughter, an English springer spaniel; Barney and Mrs. Beasley, Scottish terriers.
* While in the White House, Millie was a busy dog. She "co-authored" a children's story, "Millie's Book," with the help of First Lady Barbara Bush and she gave birth to a litter of six puppies, one of which was Spot, who returned to the White House with President George W. Bush, making Spot the only dog with the distinction of being a second-generation presidential dog.
- Contact reporter Genevieve Ryan at 774-8772 ext. 340 or e-mail gryan@dailynews.vi.
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