Some people attribute the quote “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog” to our 33rd President Harry S. Truman. However, he probably didn’t really say that — and if so, Truman certainly wasn’t very good at following his own advice.
President Truman, who took over the Oval Office in 1945 after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt during FDR’s fourth term, came to Washington, D.C., from Missouri dogless.
The Truman Library puts it matter-of-factly: “They preferred to be a pet-free family.”
“Whatever Happened to Feller?”
Almost three years later, Truman angered dog lovers all across the country when he gave away a dog that a supporter had sent him. A woman from his home state of Missouri sent him a cocker spaniel puppy named Feller, but Truman gave Feller away to his personal physician.
“Thousands [of angry Americans] wrote letters to the president,” according to a Newseum exhibit on presidential pets.
A few months later, a reporter asked, “Mr. President, whatever happened to Feller?” — to which the president responded, “To what?”
“Feller, the puppy,” said the reporter.
“Oh, he’s around,” Truman replied.
Feller eventually wound up at a farm in Ohio, where he lived happily for many years until he died of old age.
Simply Not a Fan of Dogs
As we note in our article about another dog the Trumans gave away, this particular president was many things, but clearly he wasn’t a dog lover. Researcher and dog expert Stanley Coren goes so far as to say President Truman was downright angry about having any dog in the White House, calling Feller a “dumb dog” that Truman just needed to “get rid of.”
“I didn’t ask for him, and I don’t need him,” Truman said, according to Coren.
The reader should note that every U.S. president since Truman has had — and quite enjoyed having — a dog at the White House.
Dropping atomic bombs on civilian populations, getting the United States entangled in the Korean War, and hating dogs; it is odd that history remembers Truman so kindly.
At least we won a war back then. All we have done since is play political wars with a bunch of sabre rattling and sacrificing young adult for political and economic gain vs. winning the “war” Populations are killed during wars. This isn’t news nor should it prevent us from winning. Those consequences should be studied, evaluated prior to going to war. War is the last alternative, but once committed, it should be fought to be a total victory, mecilessly. We don’t do that now and that is why we have lost every war since WWII, the big one! Welcome to loserland!
Odd that you forget the unprovoked attack on the United States at Pearl harbor in your memory of Japan’s civilian population.
Brenda M – Harry Truman’s “Presidential” and difficult decision, to drop the bomb, saved the lives of thousands of both American AND Japanese soldiers and civilians! Truman didn’t WANT to drop the bomb, but he had little choice given Japan’s refusal to surrender. You seem to forget Pearl Harbor – where over 2400 Americans were killed after a cowardly, surprise attack by the Japanese! http://www.history.com/news/5-facts-about-pearl-harbor-and-the-uss-arizona
As to Harry Truman not liking dogs…..it’s not a bonafide barometer of a person’s character. I’m a dog lover, yet I know a lot of very nice people who don’t like dogs due to a bad incident happening in their youth…. and there are a lot of very bad people, who use dogs to polish their image, while in private, not being very nice to their dogs!
I’m sure Feller had a lot more fun running around an Ohio farm, then being stuck at the White House!
Truman did him a favor, being honest, instead of trying to garner public adoration!
Ok, agree with everything you said; Except about dogs. Bad people do not like dogs….true.
Wow!!! I can’t believe people actually sent hate mail just because he didn’t like dogs??? That’s psycho to send Hate mail just for that reason. BTW this article isn’t right when it says ” every president had dogs” OH NO THEY didn’t. Thomas Jefferson didn’t have a dog , Andrew Jackson didn’t have a dog and I’m sure there more.
Hi Shelly, Thanks for commenting! Just to be clear, the article says *since* Truman. I’d have to double check with our Historian-in-Residence, but until this administration, I do believe that is correct. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!