Abraham Lincoln was an inveterate animal-lover throughout his life. He always doted on pets and despised activities such as hunting and fishing. There are many anecdotes passed down through the years which explain his affinity for animals such as the time he helped find homes for stray kittens that he found wandering around the ruins while visiting conquered Richmond, Virginia a few days after the end of the Civil War, or the time he "pardoned" a turkey that was destined for the Thanksgiving dinner table in 1863.
Perhaps no other animal touched Lincoln as deeply as his beloved dog, Fido, though. Lincoln's name for the golden retriever that he obtained in 1855 was derived from the Latin term "Fidelitas", which is loosely translated as "faithful". The Lincoln family gave Fido the run of their house in Springfield, Illinois, allowed him to sleep on couches, fed him from the dinner table, and considered him a part of their family.
When Lincoln was elected President in 1860, he worried about bringing Fido to Washington. Fido didn't like loud noises such as cannon fire or trains, and the President-elect would be traveling from Illinois to Washington by train and greeted in every town along the way by celebratory cannon fire. With a heavy heart, the distraught Lincoln decided that Fido was better off staying in Springfield as he didn't feel that his loyal dog could survive the long train ride to the capital. Lincoln entrusted Fido to neighbors but insisted that Fido be allowed to roam around his new home at will, eat from the dinner table, and be given lenience if he were to misbehave or make a mess. The President-elect even gave a horsehair sofa to his neighbors because it was Fido's favorite place to sleep.
Lincoln was devastated at his separation from Fido and shortly before leaving Springfield for the last time, the President-elect took his dog to a photo studio so that Fido could sit for pictures and Lincoln could have a remembrance of his beloved golden retriever. While working in his White House office during the Civil War, Lincoln's photo of Fido was never too far away.
When President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 and his body was returned to Springfield for burial, Fido greeted mourners at the home that the Lincolns formerly lived in. Sadly, Fido's life ended just a year after Abraham Lincoln died and in fairly similar circumstances. In 1866, Fido met the same fate as his master when he was senselessly attacked by a drunken man with knife in Springfield. Like his master, Fido was assassinated.
