26 pampered pets that rule the world

I always get a kick out of reading articles about famous pets with equally famous pet owners. That’s because the connection that exists between pet lovers and their pets make for an interesting read.

Mahatma Gandhi said it best: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

It is quite interesting then that most US presidents were great pet lovers. And, just like their humans, these pets became famous. Here are a few of the interesting US presidential pets and more, which I gathered from reading various websites:

1. George Washington was known as a great horse lover. His two favorite horses, Nelson and Blueskin, were with him when he fought at Valley Forge.   Nelson lived for over 20 years. Both Nelson and Blueskin were given a special stable were they lived out the rest of their lives with lots of food and rest as a reward for the service they gave President Washington.

2. In 1944, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was running for his fourth term, rumors surfaced that his Scottish Terrier, Fala, had accidentally been left behind when visiting the Aleutian Islands. After allegedly sending back ships to rescue his dog, Roosevelt was accused of spending thousands of taxpayers’ dollars to retrieve his pet. In a speech Roosevelt said, “You can criticize me, my wife and my family, but you can’t criticize my little dog. He’s Scotch and all these allegations about spending all this money have just made his little soul furious.”

3. Richard Nixon was accused of hiding a slush fund during his candidacy for vice president under Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. He gave a “Checkers speech” named after his cocker spaniel denying he had a slush fund but admitted: “There is one thing that I did get as a gift that I’m not going to give back.” He was referring to Checkers, a black and white Cocker Spaniel given to his daughters.

4. Lyndon B. Johnson’s reputation was damaged because of his pets. He was photographed picking his two Beagle dogs, named Him and He, up by their ears.

5. John F. Kennedy was known as the resident White House zookeeper. Kennedy’s pets included lambs, ponies, dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, parakeets, a canary, a cat, a rabbit, and a horse. 

6. George H. W. Bush has his celebrity dog named Millie, a Springer Spaniel. Not only did she charm world leaders like Vladimir Putin and Queen Elizabeth, but she also wrote her own book. Millie’s Book, as dictated to Barbara Bush, became a bestseller.

7. When George W. Bush and Laura Bush and their twin daughters moved into the White House, they had Spot, the Springer Spaniel, and a Scottish Terrier named Barney.

Barney got famous right away because he had his own website and he appeared in YouTube videos with people such as Dolly Parton, Tony Blair, and Karl Rove. The president liked to play ball with him on the White House lawn, saying that Barney was “the son I never had.”

The last First Pet while President Bush was in office was Miss Beazley, also a Scottish Terrier. 

8. When Bill Clinton and Hillary moved into the White House on Jan. 20, 1993, it took a few days before their cat Socks came to join them; he had to endure a two-day car trip from Little Rock, Arkansas, but at least that gave time for his bed and litter box to be made ready for him. Socks was only the fourth cat in the White House since Calvin Coolidge left office in 1929, but Socks wasted no time in imposing his personality on the place and soon became an internationally known celebrity.

9. One of first things that caught my attention when Barack Obama became President was his decision to get a dog for his daughters.

Bo, a Portuguese water dog, made his White House debut under cloudy skies, spending several minutes taking his new family on a lively romp in the White House garden. Bo was the fulfillment of Obama’s promise to his daughters that he would get a dog in return for all the time he spent on the road during the long presidential fight.

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Then, there are the really strange or absurd stories of really wealthy people leaving behind their fortunes to their pets.

10. A four-year-old stray cat that was rescued from the streets of Rome inherited a $13 million from its owner, the wealthy widow of an Italian property tycoon. Maria Assunta left the fortune to her beloved kitty Tommaso when she died at 94. The feline’s riches include cash, as well as properties in Rome, Milan and land in Calabria.

Assunta, who had no children, began to seek out a way to see that Tommaso was properly cared for after she died.

11. Real estate magnate Leona Helmsley left $12 million to her little dog Trouble, although her human descendants contested this, and Trouble’s pot was cut to $2 million. In her will, which she signed two years before her death, Helmsley further directed that when Trouble, a female Maltese, died, the dog was to be “buried next to my remains in the Helmsley Mausoleum” at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, in Westchester County.

12. Gunther IV, a German Shepherd, actually received his inheritance from his father, Gunther III, a German Shepherd who received an inheritance from Karlotta Liebenstein, a German countess who was a true animal lover. When the countess died, the money was left to her dog.

Gunther IV is worth at least $373 million.

13. Oprah Winfrey wants to make sure that her dogs are cared for when she is gone. Her will specifies that her dogs receive $30 million for their care. That money will be split among all dogs that she has.

When Oprah turned 56 in 2010, she got herself a birthday gift. “Actually, I thought I’d get myself two,” she says. “I want you to meet my two new babies.”

Sunny and Lauren are Springer Spaniels, and they’re sisters. “I’ve had a lot of dogs, but I have never had Springer Spaniels,” Oprah says. “I’ve always loved Springer Spaniels.”??

14. Tina and Kate are two Collie crosses that received $1 million for their care upon the death of their owner, Nora Hardwell. Tina and Kate also enjoy unlimited use of the home Hardwell occupied near Bath, England, in a town called Peasedown St. John. The home comes with five acres, so these millionaire dogs have plenty of room to run.

15. Jasper and Jason have lived in luxury since their owner’s death. Jasper is a Labrador and Doberman mix. He was destined for euthanization after being abandoned. However, Diana Myburgh, a brewery heiress, rescued him. Jason is a Whippet. They were both given trust funds of $50,000. Their funds have more than tripled. They also own a 1,236-acre estate and enjoy the finest steaks prepared by a personal chef and ride around in a stretch limo.

16. Tobey, a reclusive Poodle, is worth $92 million. Tobey descends from a Poodle that inherited $30 million from his New York owner, Ella Wendel, who died in 1931. Now Tobey is the poster dog for the benefits of trust funds and compounding interest.

17. Tinker was a stray, regularly visiting Margaret Layne, an old widow. In return for Tinker’s loyalty, he was awarded a fortune. There is a $226,000 trust fund for Tinker, as well as a new home — worth about $800,000. Tinker has since been joined by two lovely female cats, Lucky and Stardust. If Tinker returns to his wandering ways, the will strips him of his money.

18. This pet got the benefit of the revenge of his owner, Patricia O’Neil, on her husband. Patricia did not leave anything for her husband in her will but gave everything to his favorite beloved pet, Kalu, the Chimp. She left $109 million. 

19. Gigoo, a hen owned by Miles Blackwell, is worth $10 million. After his wife’s death, he gave all this wealth to his hen.

20. Red the tabby cat kept bachelor David Harper company. When Harper died, he left his $1.1 million estate to Red. The cat is now being cared for by the United Church of Canada, and will enjoy the benefits of the best food, bedding, and medical care for the rest of his life.

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21. Recently, there was a story about a woman who owned a pet shop, who spent about 20,000 pounds on the wedding of her favorite doggie.

The story goes that the bride, a Yorkshire Terrier named Lola, wore a white dress decorated with 1,800 Swarovski crystals and accessorized with a pearl necklace. Her groom, a Chinese Crested named Mugly, was smartly dressed in a tuxedo.

Eighty guests enjoyed a sumptuous buffet in a marquee adorned with 4,000 pounds’ worth of flowers, balloons and decorations.

The happy couple was married in a ceremony on the grounds of a mansion in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, costing 20,000 pounds.

The event was planned by the bride’s owner, Louise Harris, 32, who dotes on six-year-old Yorkshire Terrier Lola.

22. Prince William and Kate Middleton recently welcomed into their home a Cocker Spaniel they named Lupo. Prince William takes Lupo out as often as he can.

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We also have quite a few pet lovers among popular personalities at home. But sadly, unlike in the US, not many of our Presidents are well-known pet lovers.

23. Manny Pacquiao owns a Jack Russell named Pacdog, his constant companion during training camps. For sure, he’s one of Manny’s best friends.

24. A lover of exotic animals, Chavit Singson collects and houses them in his fortress in Ilocos Sur.

His home is a menagerie of wild animals like alpacas and ostriches that roam freely. This is also where he keeps his pet tigers. Other animals include an Indian Star Tortoise, which got its name from the radiating star patterns on its shell; an Albino Burmese Python, one of the six biggest snakes in the world; an Indian Rock Python that has rudimentary limbs on each of its anal vents; a Green Iguana that can drop from a 50-foot-high building without getting hurt due to its tough skin. He also has a Palm Civet Cat; and birds such as the Luzon Hornbill and blue-and-yellow Macaw, which fortunately are not caged.

25. Heart Evangelista keeps her heart close to Aspins (Asong Pinoy). She has 15 of them, living on a farm with her dad. “I grew up with dogs, Aspins and purebreds eating, sitting and sleeping side by side with us,” she says. “It has taken me some time to understand why such a discrepancy between breeds exists.”

26. Ask Kim Atienza any question about an animal and he has the answer for you. That’s because he gets to know each of his pets individually. He lives with his family and an Iguana named Ben, two macaws, hedgehogs and snakes, rare crocs and tortoises. He also has lots of dogs.