Apr. 28, 1964 - Hundreds of Chicagoans expressed their wrath to animal welfare agencies today over President Johnson’s pulling his beagles’ ears.
On the front pages of newspapers across the country yesterday were photographs of Mr. Johnson lifting the beagles, Him and Her, by the ears in the White House Rose Garden for visiting bankers, newsmen, and photographers.
He told his guests: “It’s good for them, it does them good to let them bark. If you ever follow dogs, you like to hear them yelp.”
Allen Glisch, manager of the Animal Welfare League, said the league had received hundreds of calls from angered citizens.
“A number of them told me that, although they’re staunch Democrats, the President had lost their vote in November,” Mr. Glisch said.
Will Judy, former editor and publisher of Dog World, disagreed with the view that dogs are not hurt by being lifted by their ears.
He also noted that, while the President used the words “bark” and “yelp” interchangeably, they mean different things. He said, “A yelp is a cry of pain, while a bark is a natural vocal expression.”
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