America: 50☆Stars (Vol. 4)

Episode 16: Tales of the Presidential Pets

January 3, 2023— Washington, D.C.

Today at the White House was Willow's birthday—that being the First Family's favorite feline. To celebrate the occasion, Washington D.C. organized a small afternoon party for the presidential cat. Invited to the celebration were Delaware, Pennsylvania, and their animal companions who all helped liven the atmosphere. Pennsylvania, in particular, surprised everyone with a pet-safe cake she made out of real salmon and chicken. It tasted bland to humans, but it was a real treat for the dogs and cats who devoured every piece until nothing was left on their plates.

"Commie! Commie! Over here, Commie!" Pennsylvania called, beckoning the German Shepherd puppy to return with the tennis ball she had thrown across the room.

"Can you please not call him that?" D.C. frowned in disapproval.

"Sorry, it's a force of habit."

"To be fair, Commander is quite an odd name to call a dog," Delaware noted.

"It's tame compared to other pet names I've heard over the years," D.C. muttered.

"I guess. I think one of the presidents had a dog named Laddie Boy. Who was it again?"

"Warren G. Harding."

"Ah, yeah. How'd you manage to remember that?"

"How could I not? That Airedale terrier was as prominent as the president. He had his own hand-carved chair to sit in during Cabinet meetings, and he regularly had interviews for newspapers. Not to mention all the birthday parties I had to organize for him and the neighborhood dogs..."

Pennsylvania chuckled, "Must be a lot of fun."

D.C. scoffed, "Maybe for the animals and their owners, but it's hardly any fun when I'm the one who has to do most of the planning for these extravagant parties when I should be working on more important matters."

"You say that, yet we're having this party for Willow today." She stroked the gray tabby's soft fur.

"That's because pet parties are a popular trend that's growing more common in our current social surroundings." She adjusted her glasses. "Photos of this party will be made public to appeal to the average American's sense of love for adorable animals. In doing so, it'll cause the current presidency to appear likable and relatable, even by the slightest margins. At least, that's the only positive gain I see in hosting these types of nonpolitical parties for the presidential pets."

"You know pets aren't just political tools, yeah?" Delaware grumbled.

"But if that's what you think, then you ought to get yourself a pet," Pennsylvania suggested with a smirk. "A pet would make you more popular and relatable in the eyes of the American people, don't you think so?"

D.C. gave a half-hearted shrug. "I've been told by President Truman to get a dog if I'm ever in need of a friend." She sighed, "Alas, I can't say it'll be rewarding for me because I know deep down from plenty of bad experiences that owning a pet is more trouble than it's worth."

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October 1807.

An inexperienced Washington D.C. no older than eleven years old still had a lot to learn when it came to managing the political, economical, and social affairs of a relatively new republic. The best she could do was serve the U.S. president, accomplishing important tasks such as ... the caretaking of their beloved pets... Well, it clearly wasn't what she imagined doing in the grand scheme of government, but it should be a simple thing to do. She assumed it wouldn't be anything too hard or complicated. That was until she met animals that weren't merely dogs.