Puppy could be future 'first dog' in the White House

The Trump family does not have any pets, but a friend said youngest son Barron Trump could bring her dog to the White House.

The puppy was named after George Patton, an American general. Photo: Washington Post

According to the Washington Post, if nothing changes, Donald Trump will be the first US president in 150 years not to have a pet. However, Lois Pope, a prominent philanthropist in Plam Beach, Florida, who supports veterans and animals, said her 9-week-old dog could become America's "first dog".

She wrote a letter about her new puppy to Donald Trump, who has known her for 20 years, and showed him a picture of it at Thanksgiving at the Trump family-owned Mar-a-Lago resort.

"He said, 'Come over and bring it to Barron,'" Pope said. "He said, 'He'll love it right away. Barron will want to have it.'"

Pope put himself in Barron Trump's shoes when choosing Patton. Moving to the White House would probably be stressful for the boy, and a small dog would make him happier.When she showed Barron the photo, "he grinned widely, his eyes sparkling."

Mrs. Pope has known Mr. Trump for 20 years. Photo: Twitter

Hope Hicks, Trump's spokeswoman, said yesterday that "he has not made any decisions about adopting a dog." However, Ms. Pope is very confident that the Trump family will adopt Patton, the dog she named after George Patton, a World War II general whom Trump greatly admired.

"I'm sure of it. Every president has a first dog," Pope said. "The two images are always linked."

Not every president has owned a dog, but dogs have played a prominent role in many US presidencies. The Clintons have a brown Labrador named Buddy and a cat named Socks.

In 2009, President Obama joked that choosing a dog was harder than choosing a secretary of commerce. After some deliberation, the Obamas decided on a Portuguese water dog named Bo. In 2013, the Obamas adopted another dog, named Sunny.

According to VNE