Golden retriever Misty belonged to President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty.
Misty was born on September 14, 1975 from mom Liberty, a famous golden who lived with the Fords in the White House. Liberty was given to the First Couple by their daughter Susan after they lost their older dog.
Misty was born in the lap of luxury, in a bedroom in the White House that had been converted to a birthing suite for Liberty.
Although all of Misty’s siblings were given to friends and family, Misty was taken in by the Fords and spent her first years growing up in the White House. She often could be seen spending time with President Ford and Liberty in the pool or romping around the grounds.
Mischievous
Good-natured but with the natural energy of a golden retriever, Misty could be rambunctious. Both she and Liberty have been described as “mischievous.”
Often, Betty Ford would spread out her paperwork on the floor in the living room, but Misty and Liberty were having none of that — many times, important papers had to be retrieved from the retrievers.
“Liberty and Misty, the Ford’s golden retrievers, were not always as patient as the president, and many times Mrs. Ford and I, were the ones retrieving papers scattered by the mischievous canines,” said White House social secretary Maria Downs.
Misty became a mother in her own right in early September 1977, giving birth to six puppies while the Fords vacationed in Vail, Colorado, and she lived for the remainder of her days with the Fords.
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