Elvis Presley's Pets

From family dogs to exotic animals, Elvis Presley had many pets.

Written and Researched by Leslie Criss  |  Illustrated by Frank Estrada

“When things go wrong, don’t go with them. Animals don’t hate, and we’re supposed to be better than them.” — Elvis Presley

When folks speak of Tupelo’s famous son and the king of rock ‘n’ roll, they mention his Southern charm, his good looks, his music, his generosity and his kindness. It ought to come as no surprise Elvis Presley’s kindness extended to not only people, but also to members of the animal kingdom.

Did Presley have pets? You bet he did.

Of his early Tupelo years, there’s no mention of significant pets. But when Presley bought Graceland in 1957, along with nearly 14 surrounding acres, his parents had animals, but they were most likely not considered pets. His mother Gladys had chickens; his father Vernon raised hogs.

Presley had a turkey named Bowtie, and there’s no mention of Bowtie ending up on the family’s Thanksgiving table. A mynah bird, given as a gift to Presley, is said to have learned to repeat excuses it heard when the musician could not come to the phone: “Elvis is asleep. Elvis isn’t here.”

Australian fans sent a pair of wallabies, and a peacock or two showed up at Graceland. Presley donated these to the Memphis Zoo.

Plenty of pups became part of Presley’s life: There was Champagne the poodle he got when in Germany; a collie named Baba; a basset hound named Sherlock; Brutus and Snoopy, a pair of Great Danes; a Pomeranian named Edmund; a chow named Get Lo for whom Presley leased a Learjet to fly for an emergency veterinary appointment in Boston; and dogs of unknown pedigree named Whoosh, Oswald and Michael Edwards, after Presley’s character in “It Happened at the World’s Fair.”

Linda Thompson, whom Presley dated, visited a pet store with him once and spoke of his heart for animals after he bought all 20 dogs in the cages and gave them to friends.

Although Presley seemed to have a penchant for canines, he did have one cat named Wendell Corey, after his costar in the 1957 film “Loving You.”