Having an unusual pet is not uncommon for presidents. In fact, many commanders-in-chief have had pets that were far from ordinary cats and dogs. One president, in particular, had a bovine buddy that lived on the White House grounds during his term. So, what president had a cow for a pet? The answer is William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States.
William Howard Taft’s Cow, Pauline Wayne
William Howard Taft served as president from 1909 to 1913. During his presidency, a small dairy cow named Pauline Wayne became his pet. Pauline was a gift to Taft’s wife, First Lady Helen Taft, in 1909 from a Wisconsin Senator named Isaac Stephenson. At the time, Pauline was just a 4-month-old calf. She soon took up residence at the White House and had the run of the grounds.
Pauline quickly became a beloved pet and minor celebrity in Washington D.C. She grazed on the White House lawn and was known to enjoy eating carnations from the flower beds. President Taft grew fond of Pauline and started giving her some whiskey mash in the morning and evening. He claimed it made her milk taste better!
Pauline produced over 4 gallons of milk each day during her time at the White House. Some of this milk was used by the First Family, while the rest was given to local orphanages and hospitals. When guests visited the White House, President Taft enjoyed showing off his cow.
Pauline’s Life at the White House
During her time as “First Cow,” Pauline lived a comfortable life as a presidential pet. A special barn was constructed for her on the White House grounds. The luxurious cow barn reportedly cost $1,800 to build and was located where the Eisenhower Executive Office Building now sits. Pauline had her own comfortable stall bedded with alfalfa hay inside the barn.
She became an integral part of the Taft White House. Pauline frequently attended official events and delighted local children. For important occasions like state dinners, she wore a large blue bow around her neck as she wandered the grounds. On Christmas 1910, Pauline appeared on a special White House greeting card from President Taft.
Pauline Wayne was well cared for by White House staff. She had her own caretaker named Tom Moore who tended to her daily needs. Pauline’s milking was overseen by the White House dairy division. A special truck carried her milk deliveries from the White House to hospitals and orphanages around Washington D.C.
The Fate of Pauline Wayne
Sadly, Pauline Wayne’s time as an infamous presidential pet was short-lived. After President Taft lost his re-election campaign in 1912, Pauline remained at the White House through the first few weeks of Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. She was then sent back to Wisconsin due to concerns that there was no proper place to keep a cow at the White House.
Pauline briefly lived at the National Zoo before being returned to her original owner Senator Isaac Stephenson at his farm in Wisconsin. She died just a few months later in 1913 after stepping on a rusty nail and contracting septicemia at only 5 years old.
Pauline Wayne’s time in the spotlight was brief but memorable. To this day, she remains the only cow to have lived at the White House as a presidential pet.
Other Presidents with Unusual Pets
While Pauline Wayne the presidential cow was certainly unique, she wasn’t the only unusual animal kept as a White House pet. Here are some other presidents who had unconventional pets:
Thomas Jefferson – Grizzly Bears
The Lewis and Clark expedition brought two grizzly bear cubs to President Thomas Jefferson in 1807. He kept them in a cage on the White House lawn for a short time before donating them to a museum.
Martin van Buren – Tiger Cubs
An animal trainer gave President Martin van Buren two tiger cubs in 1837. Van Buren briefly kept them on the White House grounds before Congress ordered them donated to a zoo.
Calvin Coolidge – Racoon Rebecca
One of President Calvin Coolidge’s favorite pets during his time in office was Rebecca the racoon. She was known to wander the White House freely.
Theodore Roosevelt – Jonathan Edwards the Bear
As an outdoorsman and hunter, President Theodore Roosevelt unsurprisingly had some unusual pets. One was a 285-pound black bear named Jonathan Edwards who lived at the White House for a short time.
Franklin Roosevelt – Fala the Dog
Though dogs are common presidential pets, FDR’s Scottish terrier Fala got an unusual amount of attention. FDR took the dog with him everywhere, even to important WWII strategy meetings.
John Quincy Adams – Alligator
The 6th U.S. president received a strange gift – an alligator sent to the White House from the Marquis de Lafayette in 1826. It lived in a White House bathroom before being relocated to the Potomac River.
Other Presidents and Their Pets
In addition to unusual animals, many presidents have kept more conventional cats, dogs, and other pets at the White House. Here is a table showing some of the pets kept by U.S. presidents over the years:
| President | Pet(s) |
|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln | Dog Fido, cats Tabby and Dixie |
| Rutherford Hayes | Siamese cat Siam |
| James Garfield | Dog Veto |
| Benjamin Harrison | Mixed breed dog Dash, goat Old Whiskers |
| William McKinley | Yellow-headed Mexican parrot |
| Theodore Roosevelt | Chesapeake Bay retriever Sailor Boy |
| Woodrow Wilson | Greyhound Mountain Boy |
| Calvin Coolidge | White collie Rob Roy, terrier Prudence Prim |
| Herbert Hoover | Belgian shepherd King Tut |
| Franklin Roosevelt | Terrier Fala, Scotch terrier Meggie |
| Dwight Eisenhower | Weimaraner Heidi |
| John F. Kennedy | Welsh terrier Charlie, ponies Macaroni and Tex |
| Lyndon Johnson | Mixed breed dog Yuki, mongrel dog Edgar |
| Richard Nixon | Irish setter King Timahoe, poodle Vicky |
| Gerald Ford | Golden retriever Liberty |
| Ronald Reagan | Bouvier des Flandres Lucky, Cavalier King Charles spaniel Rex |
| Bill Clinton | Chocolate Labrador Buddy, cat Socks |
| George W. Bush | Scottish terriers Barney and Miss Beazley |
| Barack Obama | Portuguese water dogs Bo and Sunny |
As you can see, there have been conventional cats, dogs, and other pets living at the White House for generations. But a few presidents like William Howard Taft opted for more exotic animals like Pauline Wayne the dairy cow!
Conclusion
In conclusion, William Howard Taft had a unique presidential pet – a dairy cow named Pauline Wayne. She was gifted to First Lady Helen Taft in 1909 and lived at the White House over the next few years. Pauline produced milk for the First Family and delighted local children before being returned to her home state of Wisconsin.
Though other presidents have had unusual pets like alligators and bear cubs, Pauline Wayne remains the only cow ever kept as a regular White House pet. She became a celebrity in Washington D.C. during her short life. Pauline’s time as “First Cow” gives us a delightful glimpse into the lives of presidential pets over the years.