Abraham Lincoln's Compassion for Animals

February 18, 2008

Today we celebrate February birthday boys George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but the sixteenth U.S. president, Lincoln, merits special Born Animal honors. What you might not have read in your history books is that he loved animals and extended tremendous compassion towards them throughout his lifetime. When first lady Mary Tood Lincoln was asked if her husband had a hobby, she replied, "Cats." In fact, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, as the Civil War was drawing to a close, President Lincoln stumbled upon three orphaned kittens in a telegraph hut. He placed them on his lap and inquired about their mother. When told she had died, he helped to find the kittens a good home.

Lincoln loved dogs too. The National Park Service says that the Lincoln family pooch, a mixed, floppy-eared canine with a yellow coat named Fido, freaked out during the noise and hubbub following Lincoln's 1860 presidential victory. Worried about his welfare, the newly elected president gave the dog to two boys—John and Frank Roll—with personal instructions that they should let Fido inside whenever he scratched at the front door, never scold him for having muddy paws and feed him should Fido come to the dinner table.

President Lincoln had pet goats and rabbits as well. His son, Tad, even took a shine to a turkey named "Tom" that the family was supposed to eat for Thanksgiving. Lincoln interrupted a cabinet meeting to spare Tom's life, beginning an American presidential tradition still observed today for Thanksgiving.

It's fitting that Lincoln's beloved horse, "Old Bob," took center stage in the funeral procession following the president's tragic assassination. A pair of boots, placed backwards in the stirrups, represented the now rider-less horse that marched along the procession route.

Comments

[april]

im an animal person myself im glad to hear we had an animal lover 4 a president, i hope we have more presidents like that maybe they could make a difference in the world 4 animals

[Mark]

We need another compassionate president towards animals. It says a lot about Lincoln and his greatness. We could use him today. The compassion he had for animals has been lost. That is a sad!

[N. Hiltner]

I disagree with you that the other presidents hated as much as Lincoln included George W. Bush. A president much more hated was Lyndon Johnson, who was thought by many to have been involved in JFK's assassination and who grew the Vietnam War, which was MUCH more unpopular than the Iraq War. I think your opinion is shortsighted.

Also, Truman ended WWII. I highly doubt he was hated at that time for what he did. I remember he was considered a hero. Are you rewriting history here?

[Jen Viegas]

Mark and April, I couldn't agree with you more. It will be interesting to see how the next U.S. president addresses wildlife and environment issues.

Re. the quote about Bush, Lincoln et al., please note that was made by James Cornelius of the Lincoln presidential library. I believe he based his choices on opinion polls, but not sure.

[sonny mccutcheon]

I agree that Lyndon Johnson was more "hated" that George W. Bush. Lyndon Johnson was resopnsible for fifteen times the number of US service deaths in Viet Nam than we have in lost in Iraq ans Afghanistan combibed. Johnson also was hated by many for passing civil rights legislation. Harry Truman was not a hated president. Bill Clinton is hated by many who see him as absolutely morally corrupt, an adulterer and sexual predator and a perjurer. No doubt, Clinton will go down as the lowest scum ever to hold the office.