President Gifted Dog

Now here’s an odd tale from the Focus Information Agency!

BTW, if anyone has one of these dogs living with them, I’d love to see a picture! Please bark in and give us all the Dogster ID number! This is the first time I ever heard about a breed that wasn’t on the Dogster list.

Bush and a Tale of a Bulgarian Dog

Washington. When U.S. presidents receive gifts, the items are acknowledged, then packed away in a government warehouse to await the opening of his future library, AP comments today.

It’s been the fate of many pairs of cowboy boots and hats, expensive rugs, glinting crystal and silverware, jewelry, fine fabrics, works of art and other items _ all given to President Bush by foreign dignitaries since he took office nearly six years ago.

He received the most unusual gift from Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

In addition to a Bulgarian edition of the 2002 book “The Leadership Genius of George W. Bush,” Parvanov gave his American counterpart a living, barking, 2-month-old Bulgarian Goran shepherd pup named Balkan.
Balkan for short.

Bush and first lady Laura Bush, both dog lovers, already have Scottish terriers Barney and Miss Beazley living with them at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Obviously, Balkan couldn’t be sent to the National Archives with the rest of the presidential booty. The Bushes apparently considered taking him to their ranch in central Texas but realized he might not adapt well to the heat, said first lady spokeswoman Susan Whitson.

Bush did not keep the Bulgarian-language testament to his genius as a commander in chief, but he decided he wanted the shaggy pooch from his European ally. Just not for himself.

The Bushes bought Balkan and gave him to an unidentified friend who lives with her Bulgarian-American husband on a farm in Maryland, Whitson said, disclosing the dog’s fate nearly a year later. Consider it a twist on regifting, the practice of giving away a present someone gives you.