Almost all Presidents have had pets with them in the White House, and 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes was no exception. In addition to his dogs, cats, birds and cows, the Hayes family had a pet goat.
Goats weren’t an altogether odd pet; many families used them to produce milk and cheese during the 1800s (and still do today.) Until zoning laws changed, goats could be kept in any backyard and a few notable Presidents – like Abraham Lincoln – kept a goat or two around. The Hayes’ goat appeared to be more a pet to Hayes’ son Scott than anything else.
According to Margaret Truman in White House pets, President Hayes reported in a letter that “Scott’s new goat is a success – he hauls Scott all about.” Likely the goat was hitched to a cart and taught to pull Scott Hayes about on the grounds of the White House.
What happened to the Hayes’ goat is unknown. However, these were (and are) useful pets who contribute to their household by producing milk and it is likely the Hayes retained ownership of the goat well past their White House term.
