Donald Trump is the first U.S. president for more than a century not to have a dog as a pet in the White House (presumably because it would out-think him). But is he missing a trick?
Two of his good friends — and many others — would no doubt think so.
Throughout history, animals have been used to win over enemies, forge alliances and, sometimes, to intimidate one’s opponents. Here are some examples of when pets scored political points.
Vladimir Putin and his dogs
For the Russian president, dogs are up there with his great loves — stealing bits of other countries and jailing political opponents.
Putin’s love of dogs means a politician simply needs to give him a pooch as a gift and they’ll automatically be in his good graces.
Putin likes to be photographed cuddling his dogs almost as much as be likes to be photographed shirtless while riding horses.
The latest example took place last week, when Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić gave Putin a Šarplaninac (or Yugoslavian shepherd) puppy named Pasha. The gift reflects Vučić’s efforts to stay close to Russia, Belgrade’s traditional ally, while also moving closer to the European Union. Putin has claimed that the EU is forcing Serbia to make an “artificial choice” between Moscow and the West, as well as complaining about the expansion of NATO into the Balkans. The Kremlin also rejects Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, in contrast to most Western countries.
Pasha will have company in the Kremlin. In late 2017, the president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, gave the Russian leader a Central Asian shepherd puppy known as an alabai during talks in Sochi that focused on natural gas exports, and not on Turkmenistan’s appalling treatment of animals.
And in 2011, Putin was given a dog called Yume (which means “dream” in Japanese) by the governor of Japan’s Akita prefecture to say thanks for Russia’s assistance following the tsunami. (In late 2016, Japan wanted to present the Russian president with a second Akita Inu dog, but Moscow politely declined.)
A year before that, Putin was given a Karakachan dog by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to celebrate the signing of a series of energy deals. The dog was later named Buffy by a 5-year-old boy who won a nationwide competition. Putin said he merely liked the name and it had nothing to do with the TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Putin’s labrador wanders around while Merkel and Putin address the press, January 2007 | Dmitry Astakhov/AFP via Getty Images
Putin likes to be photographed cuddling his dogs almost as much as be likes to be photographed shirtless while riding horses. But he has other uses for his canine friends. In 2007, Putin let his black labrador, Koni, wander about during a meeting with Angela Merkel.
“The dog does not bother you, does she? She’s a friendly dog and I’m sure she will behave herself,” Putin said during the meeting.
The dog did bother her. The German chancellor is terrified of dogs after being bitten by one in 1995 and had this to say after the meeting: “I understand why he has to do this — to prove he’s a man.”
Koni has since died. (Merkel had an alibi — probably.)
Jean-Claude Juncker to the rescue
The European Commission president is now the proud owner of Caruso, a mongrel terrier who was rescued from “certain death” at a Spanish dog pound. Caruso (named after “CSI: Miami” actor David, maybe) replaces Plato, another rescue dog who died recently, as Juncker’s canine companion.
But what should have been a heartwarming story of man saves dog has taken a political twist because, according to the Telegraph, the journey to fetch Caruso from a Bavarian dogs’ home was undertaken at taxpayers’ expense. The swine!
Rumors that the British government is planning to kill all European breeds of dog after Brexit were unconfirmed at the time of going to press.
Panda gifts
The Chinese used pandas to smooth international tensions for years. After U.S. President Richard Nixon traveled to Beijing in 1972 to open diplomatic relations with China, the United States was sent Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, who lived in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington for decades. Nixon reciprocated Chairman Mao Zedong’s gift, sending two musk ox in return.
Two years after Nixon’s visit, British Prime Minister Edward Heath requested a pair of pandas for the U.K., and duly received them — Ching-Ching and Chia-Chia. But by 1984, the Chinese had decided not to give pandas as gifts, but rather to offer them on 10-year loans, and with annual payments meant to be used for panda conservation.
Edward Heath feeds Chia-Chia in London Zoo, 1974 | Simon Dack/Keystone/Getty Images via Hulton Archive
Frisky beavers
In the 17th century, the U.K. granted the Hudson’s Bay Company in Canada the right to exploit resources around the bay. The fee was two elk skins and two black beaver pelts to be presented during every visit by the British royalty (which is also how Jacob Rees-Mogg pays his nanny).
In 1970, however, the company tried something different and gave Queen Elizabeth two live beavers. Apparently, the animals became rather frisky during the ceremony, and the queen asked what the two were doing. The governor of Hudson’s Bay, Viscount Amory, reportedly responded that he had no idea, as he was a bachelor.
Bear hugs
Tony Abbott’s smartest move as Australian prime minister may well have been to bring out the big, cute guns during the 2014 G20 summit — koalas.
Abbott and Obama koalas ahead of the first G20 meeting in Brisbane, Australia | Andrew Taylor/G20 Australia via Getty Images
World leaders lined up to be photographed with one of the koalas — from Barack Obama to Merkel, from Juncker to Putin.
Alas, Australia’s opposition parties weren’t quite so happy, claiming that marsupial hugging at various events including the G20 cost the taxpayer $400,000 (€252,000).