What's in your house?  What's in their house, especially the White House? 

We realize that not all families or cultures keep pets and that some even consider dogs objectionable. But our readers are animal lovers, so here are some interesting facts about the presidential hopefuls and their relationships with animals.

For those of you wondering which candidates are dog lovers and which are cat lovers, we have the answers from the staff at The Salt Lake Tribune who assembled a list of candidates and their pets.

Democratic hopeful, Barack Obama has no pets. But he has promised his kids a dog. This promise may be conditional, as many news reports indicated that he will get the dog “if he wins the election”.

Although Hillary Clinton has suspended her campaign, she and the former president have a dog, a Labrador  named Seamus. No, it is not the one that lived in the White House. Sadly, that dog (Buddy) ran out into traffic during the move out and was run over. When they arrived, their daughter had a cat named Socks but when they left the White House, they were cat-less. Reports are that the cat was adopted by a staff member. Their daughter appears to be the cat lover, and reportedly has a cat in her apartment.

Republican, John McCain may rank higher as an animal lover due to the fact that he owns three turtles, three parakeets, a ferret, two dogs, a cat and 13 salt water fish.

The American Veterinary Assoc. reports 59.5% of American households own pets. This may not be a deal breaker in the voting booth but most pet lovers appreciate a candidate who will work for them and their pets. We’ll continue to cover this subject for curious readers.  Stay tuned!

by Nell Liquorman