Presidents of the United States and Their Beloved Pets

#19: President William Howard Taft’s Pet Pauline

William Howard Taft’s beloved cow, Pauline, was a practical yet cherished White House resident. Pauline provided fresh milk for the family, calmly grazing on the South Lawn. She followed in the hoofprints of earlier presidential cows, serving both as a working animal and a curious attraction for visitors to Washington.

Pauline embodied Taft’s practical side, but she also captured attention as a living reminder of simpler times before modern refrigeration. Visitors often marveled at the sight of a cow outside the presidential mansion. Pauline’s gentle presence gave Taft’s White House a homey, down-to-earth feel rarely seen in later years.