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A vacant White House job: first pet

FILE- This Aug. 24, 1992 file photo shows President Bush, right, and first lady Barbara Bush walking with their dog Millie across the South Lawn as they return to the White House. (AP Photo/Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE- This Aug. 24, 1992 file photo shows President Bush, right, and first lady Barbara Bush walking with their dog Millie across the South Lawn as they return to the White House. (AP Photo/Scott Applewhite, File) FILE- This Aug. 24, 1992 file photo shows President Bush, right, and first lady Barbara Bush walking with their dog Millie across the South Lawn as they return to the White House. (AP Photo/Scott Applewhite, File)

By Associated Press 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Politically ambitious pups and kittens: Put your resumes aside.

The job of first pet – an enviable White House gig with luxurious live-in privileges, after-hours access to the president and guaranteed positive press coverage – is not currently available.

That’s because President Donald Trump is not looking for a four-legged sidekick at the moment. Asked about plans for such an addition to the White House, Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for Melania Trump, said in a statement: “The first family is still getting settled so there are no plans at this time.”

If Trump stays pet-free, he will be breaking with a long held tradition of presidential pet ownership.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s had his beloved terrier Fala. President George H.W. Bush’s English springer spaniel Millie was featured on “The Simpsons.”