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WEKU
WEKU
Politics
Scott Neuman

Presidential pets can breed controversy. A dog was once suspected of being a spy

Richard Nixon the White House Joe Biden John F Kennedy Barack Obama Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin D Roosevelt Teddy Roosevelt United States Edward Kennedy
Clockwise from top left: Pushinka, a gift to President John F. Kennedy from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev; Bo, President Barack Obama's Portuguese water dog; Commander, President Biden's German shepherd; and Socks, President Bill Clinton's cat. (William J. Smith/AP Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images (2), Marcy Nighswander/AP)

News that another of President Biden's German shepherds has been transferred from the White House to the proverbial doghouse brings to mind a veritable menagerie of first pets that have graced 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Since President George Washington, the White House has been home to cats, birds, and a variety of more exotic animals. Some have been immortalized in speeches, while others have found themselves at the center of controversy, with one even suspected of espionage!

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