Fala

Fala wasn't just a dog — he was Franklin D. Roosevelt's constant companion, a wartime celebrity, and the most famous Scottish terrier in American history.

Fala (full name: Murray the Outlaw of Falahill) was a gift to FDR from his cousin Margaret Suckley. He arrived at the White House in 1940, just as World War II was reshaping the world. From that day on, Fala was rarely far from the president's side.

Fala traveled everywhere with FDR. He went to important wartime meetings, rode in the presidential car, and slept at the foot of the president's bed. He was famous for his antics — he loved to chase squirrels on the White House lawn and would bark at anyone who came too close to the president.

During World War II, Fala became a symbol of the American home front. When Republicans spread a rumor that FDR had accidentally left Fala behind on a trip and sent a Navy destroyer back to retrieve him — at great cost to taxpayers — FDR gave a famous speech joking about it. "Fala's Scotch soul was furious," FDR said. The speech was so effective it helped FDR win reelection.

Fala was with FDR until the very end. When the president died in 1945, Fala attended the funeral. He lived another seven years, cared for by Margaret Suckley, and is buried near FDR at the Roosevelt estate in Hyde Park, New York. There's a statue of Fala next to FDR's memorial in Washington, D.C.