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No plans for 'first pet'

Politically ambitious pups and kittens: Put your resumes aside.

The job of first pet — an enviable White House gig with luxurious live-in privileges, after-hours access to the president and guaranteed positive press coverage — is not currently available.

That's because President Donald Trump is not looking for a fluffy sidekick at the moment. Asked about plans for a four-legged addition to the White House, Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for Melania Trump, said in a statement: "The first family is still getting settled so there are no plans at this time."

If Trump stays pet-free, he will be breaking with a long held tradition of presidential pet ownership.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's had his beloved terrier Fala. President George H.W. Bush's English springer spaniel Millie was featured on "The Simpsons." When President Barack Obama's family acquired their Portuguese water dog Bo, it was big news.

"In the modern-day presidency, almost all of them have had a pet," said Jennifer Pickens, a White House social expert who wrote "Pets at the White House." Still, she noted, "all didn't necessarily have them at the beginning of the administration."



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