President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to move into the White House in less than 50 days, but what he does not have upon entering the White House is a pet, making him the first president in 150 years to not have one.
Philanthropist and animal welfare advocate, Lois Pope, hopes a Golden-doodle puppy named Patton will join him in the White House, since Trump is not known to own any pets.
Pope, who has been a friend of Trump’s for more than 30 years, says that the 9-week-old golden retriever and poodle mix is perfect to become Trump’s “First Dog.” Patton is the offspring of American military service dogs.
The dog is named after General George Patton, a leader that Trump often praises. Last week during an event in Ohio, when President-elect Trump tapped Marine General James Mattis as his Secretary of Defense, Trump said that he is “the closest thing we have to Gen. George Patton.”
Pope wrote Donald Trump to tell him about Patton and then over Thanksgiving at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, she showed Trump a picture of Patton on her phone.
He turned toward Melania and said “hero dog,” CBS News reported.
He then told Pope to show his 10 year-old son Barron.
“I’d never seen such a big smile on anyone’s face,” Pope said. “It’s worth all this time and the trouble and effort putting into this for [Barron].”
Pope said that the reason she is pushing Trump to get Patton is for his son, Barron, who will at one point move into the White House.
“He’s going to be a perfect dog for Barron. He’s the one that I’m really doing this for,” Pope added. “That’s going to be quite a transition for him. He’s only 10 years old and his dad is going to be the leader of the free world.”
Before becoming Trump’s dog, Patton would receive “hero dog training,” which would make the dog a protector as well as a companion.
In 2009, Obama joked that deciding what dog breed to get was more difficult than choosing a commerce secretary. In the end, Obama received a Portuguese Water Dog as a gift from the late Ted Kennedy.
[revad2]
