Jared Bowen:
Mike Keiley leads animal protection at the KEILEY, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell.
As presidential pets go, he says, so goes the nation. The Clintons’ cat, Socks, with all his antics and merch, led to increased adoption for black and white cats. The Obama’s dog, Bo, resulted in this likeness made from pipe cleaners gifted to the president, and in an uptick in the adoption of Portuguese water dogs.
And Keiley says animals are a softer, gentler way into presidents plagued by divisive politics.
