Pete was a pet dog belonging to United States president
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
. He was one of many presidential pets during Roosevelt's presidency. He was reported to be a
bull terrier
The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier.
Appearance
The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, descri ...
, though other reports have said he was a Boston bull terrier or
bulldog
The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.
Pete was reported to be Theodore Roosevelt's favorite of his dogs.
Pete chased and bit a number people on numerous occasions during his time living at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
. He bit
policemen
A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
on a number of occasions. In a biting incident, Pete tore the trousers of Secretary of the Interior
James Rudolph Garfield
James Rudolph Garfield (October 17, 1865 – March 24, 1950) was an American lawyer and politician. Garfield was a son of President James A. Garfield and First Lady Lucretia Garfield. He served as Secretary of the Interior during President Th ...
. In another incident, Pete was reported to have chased
George B. Cortelyou
George Bruce Cortelyou (July 26, 1862October 23, 1940) was an American Cabinet secretary of the early twentieth century. He held various positions in the presidential administrations of Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt.
...
, causing Corelyou to seek refuge by climbing a tree. He was also reported to have numerous times chased private citizens visiting the White House. In yet another incident, Pete tore the pants off of Jean Jules Jusserand (
ambassador of France to the United States
The French ambassador to the United States is the diplomatic representation of the French Republic to the United States. They reside in Washington, D.C. The current ambassador is Philippe Étienne.
List of Ambassadors
References
{{Lists of he ...
).
In May 1907, Pete got into repeated fights with another dog that would wander onto the White House grounds. These fights left him with serious, even life-threatening, injuries.
Pete would be exiled from living at the White House due to his aggressive incidents towards people. He was first exiled in July 1907, reportedly after Theodore Roosevelt decided against euthanizing the dog after his son Archibald pled with him not to. He was again exiled in 1908, after he chased a
State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...
official. He appears to have spent the rest of his days at the Roosevelt's
Sagamore Hill
Sagamore Hill was the home of the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, from 1885 until his death in 1919. It is located in Cove Neck, New York, near Oyster Bay on the North Shore of Long Island,Bleyer, Bill.When LI place n ...