Calvin Coolidge had two cats. Theodore Roosevelt had Slippers, a six-toed cat. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford B. Hayes, Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy owned cats while in the White House. It's hard to believe there wasn't a furniture-scratcher in the bunch. The orange tabby would nap on staffers' laps and travel with the governor to visit schools.
Pets are for life.
But he lives in a throwaway society that fails to define animals as irreplaceable, individual beings. It's no wonder animal cruelty cases go unpunished. When the president gives up a family pet for material reasons, that sends the wrong message about how society ought to value its animal companions. Your dog can chase and catch the bouncing Kong, and spend some time digging out treats inside. Your dog's work can be greatly rewarded.