Grits

Grits holds a sad record: she's the only presidential pet who was given back.

When Ronald Reagan became president in 1981, the White House felt empty without a dog. The Reagans had always loved animals — they had horses at their California ranch — but they didn't have a dog in the White House. That's when a family friend gave them a border collie puppy named Grits.

Grits was a beautiful black-and-white border collie with lots of energy. She loved to run, play, and chase things. But there was a problem: Grits was too energetic. She'd race through the White House hallways, knock over furniture, and chase the staff. The Reagans, who were both in their seventies, found her exhausting.

The White House was not equipped for a high-energy working dog. Border collies need a job to do, and Grits didn't have one. She was bored and restless, and she took it out on the furniture, the curtains, and anyone who wasn't fast enough to get out of her way.

After a few months, the Reagans made the difficult decision to give Grits back to the family who had given her. She went to live on a farm in California, where she had plenty of space to run and herd sheep — a much happier life for a border collie. The Reagans later got a calmer dog named Lucky, but Grits is remembered as the presidential pet who just didn't fit in.