Revolutionary Pets: dogs, cats, squirrels and deer

George Washington had a dog named "Sweet Lips." John Adams had a pup named "Satan"(there is a story there lost to time, although I have often thought about re-naming some of our dogs in a similar way). And, of course, Ben Franklin, not to be outdone, had a pet squirrel named "Mungo."

We often think our obsession with pets is a phenomenon of modernity.

But closer to the truth is that in that time of great instability, of overthrowing a King, and starting a war, pets were everywhere.

Cats had come over from Europe on the Mayflower. In the eighteenth century, they were transitioning from just being "mousers" to being part of the family. There was a resurging interest in breeding dogs. And yes, squirrels, even deer, and raccoons were eyed for their domestic potential.

Driving this was the Enlightenment. Animals were no longer seen as "dumb Brutes" but as animals with cognitive lives and the capacity to feel pain.

One of the first "animal rights" thinkers was Humphrey Primatt (1734-1776). He wrote a pamphlet, "A Dissertation on the Duty of Mercy and Sin of Cruelty to Brute Animals." In it he wrote, "We may pretend to what religion we please, but cruelty is atheism. We may make our boast of Christianity, but cruelty is infidelity. We may trust to our orthodoxy, but cruelty is the worst of heresies.”

Except for the atheism bit, not a bad call out for the Animal Rights movement today.

One of my favorite, thoughtful quotes comes from the novelist, Dur E Aziz Amna. She wrote, "Lives should be led in the present, the eye has to look to the future, but all meaning is in the past."

There is a meaning thread that connects all dog guardians back to our founders, to the days when a new nation was being born.

Take George Washington, for example. Besides be the commanding General of the Continental Army and first President, he loved dogs. He owned dozens besides the aforementioned Sweet Lips. Some of my favorites are Captain, Drunkard, Truelove and Tipler. He later bred dogs and created American Foxhound breed.

The most telling story about Washington's love of dogs came during the war. At the Battle of Germantown, on October 4th, 1777, a thick fog cause chaos on the battlefield. The opposing General, William Howe, had a fox terrier that accompanied him into battle. In the fog, the dog became lost and ended up behind the American lines. Soldiers took the dog to Washington, and he recognized the engraved collar with General Howe's initials. Knowing how close Howe was to his dog, Washington arranged a ceasefire and returned the dog to Howe.

It was still a time of chivalry, but Washington's concern and love of dog’s shines through.

Then there is the lovely, but probably just folklore, story of Paul Revere and his midnight ride. As the story goes halfway through the ride Revere noticed that he had forgotten his spurs. Instead of stopping, he pinned a note to his dog (who accompanied him everywhere) and sent him home. A few hours later the dog caught up with him with the spurs attached to his collar. This would make a great Disney telling of the midnight ride.

Of course, there are stories of abuse and cruelty. And it is incumbent for us to work every day to live up to Primatt's words. But I am comforted by the fact that for 250 years, through wars, economic travails, and even times like ours, dog (and cats, but maybe not squirrels) have been by our side making our lives a little richer and kinder.

As I write this, there are thunderstorms popping around town. Our dog Toby, is hiding in the bathroom because of the thunder, and Maisie, who is smaller but braver, is stealing food from Toby's dish.

Another day with dogs.

I can't imagine a life without them, and I wonder if Washington and Adams — and Franklin and his squirrel — felt the same way.

I'm sure they did.

In short, we have a legacy to live up to. Caring for and loving our pets might seem like a minor thing when we think of the short history of our country and our obligations as citizens, but it is in the small tasks and duties that we create a nation.

To end, I think Abigal Adams (wife of John) expressed her love of dogs the best. She wrote to her granddaughter, Caroline, this line, "If you love me… you must love my dog."

I agree!

Sweet Lips and Drunkard. . .