 | |
| Othername(s) | “Fluff”[1] |
|---|---|
| Species | Dog |
| Breed | Mixed |
| Sex | Female |
| Born | (1960-11-30)November 30, 1960 |
| Nation from |  Soviet Union |
| Owners | |
| Parent(s) | |
| Mate(s) |  Charlie |
| Offspring |
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Pushinka (Russian:Пушинка,lit. 'Fluffy'), a dog, was given by the Soviet PremierNikita Khrushchev to the President of the United States,John F. Kennedy, in 1961. Pushinka was the daughter ofStrelka, who had travelled into space aboardKorabl-Sputnik 2.[3]
Pushinka arrived at the KennedyWhite House afterJacqueline Kennedy had spoken to Khrushchev aboutStrelka at a state dinner in Vienna. Mrs. Kennedy asked about Strelka's puppies, and one was subsequently sent by Khrushchev to the White House.[4] Pushinka was examined by theCentral Intelligence Agency at theWalter Reed Army Medical Center over fears that she might be concealing an implantedlistening device. Pushinka wasx-rayed,screened with a magnetometer, and inspected bysonogram. She was found to be free of subversive devices.[5]
The White House electrician and kennel manager, Traphes Bryant, trained Pushinka with peanuts to climb up a ladder toCaroline Kennedy's playhouse and slide down the other side.[4][6]
Pushinka became pregnant by one of the Kennedys' dogs, Charlie, and gave birth to four puppies, whom the president jokingly calledpupniks.[7] The White House received 5,000 requests from members of the public asking for Pushinka's puppies. Two of the puppies,Butterfly andStreaker, were given away to children in the Midwest. The other two puppies,White Tips andBlackie, stayed at the Kennedy home on Squaw Island and later were given away to family friends, one puppy toPatricia Kennedy and her husband,Peter Lawford.[8] Pushinka subsequently became irascible, and "a little nippy" according to Caroline Kennedy, which she attributed to her upbringing in a scientific laboratory.[4]
Descendants of Pushinka are living in 2024.[9]
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