At the time, James K. Polk was the youngest President to take office – he was only 49 on the day he was inaugurated. He and his wife, Sarah, took over the White House from John Tyler in 1845. Although Polk is considered the first “Dark Horse” candidate in history, unlike most other Presidents he did not bring any actual pets along with him to the White House, nor did he have any while in office.
Perhaps Polk was more concerned with other acquisitions. During his Presidency, Polk wrested Oregon from Great Britain, annexed Texas, and successfully fought Mexico to add Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and California to the United States. “No President who performs his duty faithfully can have any leisure” was Polk’s opinion. Perhaps a dog or two might have changed his mind.
