Herbert Hoover was known as "The Great Humanitarian." The 31st president of the United States also had a soft spot in his heart for his dog, King Tut.
The Presidential Pet Museum credits the Belgian Shepherd with helping Hoover secure the White House.
A picture of Hoover with King Tut was used during the campaign to help Hoover seem more approachable. It worked, but Hoover's presidency was destined to become a disaster.
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Shortly after Hoover took office, the stock market crash which led to The Great Depression. King Tut, simply stopped eating and a New York Times article reported that he "gradually faded away." It was possibly due to the stress of being first dog.
A German Shepherd named Pat was given to replace King Tut and the Hoovers had a series of other four-legged friends as well. Those presidential dogs included a couple of fox terriers, a Scottish collie, an Eskimo dog, wolfhound and a settler.
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An Elkhound from Norway also came as a potential replacement for King Tut. At the time, there were very few of this kind of dog in the United States. The breed had an equally royal claim in that his breed could be traced back to the Vikings.
Aside from the dogs, the Hoover family also is credited with having a pair of pet alligators. The animals specifically belonged to Hoover’s son, Allan.
Scholastic reports the alligators were sometimes allowed to wander freely in the White House.
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