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Abraham Lincoln's Yellow Mutt


A few days before his eighth birthday, in February 1817, Abraham Lincoln shot a wild turkey. He hoped the kill would impress his father. Instead, the sight of the dead bird left the future president traumatized. 

Lincoln later wrote that he never again pulled a trigger on “any larger game.”

Around 1855, Lincoln adopted a stray yellow mutt he named Fido (from fidelis, Latin for “faithful”).

Fido lived up to his name, accompanying Lincoln everywhere. But after the election of 1860, Lincoln feared the trip to Washington would be too stressful, and left the dog behind with friends. 

He even left behind Fido’s favorite horsehair sofa to keep him comfortable.

When the president died, Fido returned the love, standing guard as thousands of mourners filed through Lincoln’s home to pay their respects.

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