40 Photos of Old Hollywood Stars and Their Pets

It's well documented that no one, not even the stars of yesteryear, can resist a puppy cuddle. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, it was common for stars to be gifted a pet from a fan or their studio to be used as a promotional tool for an upcoming film. Meanwhile other stars, like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, were quite simply just animal lovers. Here, see photos of some of the most glamorous Old Hollywood stars and their pets.

First Lady Grace Coolidge had an interesting companion during her husband's time in the White House: a pet raccoon named Rebecca. The White House Raccoon, as Rebecca became known, was sent to the First family as a gift intended to be served for Thanksgiving dinner, but the First Lady decided to keep her as a pet instead. Grace was known to trot out Rebecca during official White House events, like the Easter Egg Roll.

Clara Bow was one of the top film stars in the '30s, as she was able to make the transition from silent films to "talkies." Here, the actress is seen playing with her beloved Airedale Terrier.

We're not sure who's the star in this photo—director Chester Franklin or his German Shepard, named Peter the Great, who's shaking Chester's hand on the lawn in front of his studio.

Actress Dorothy Dandridge gives her dog a great hug at Orly Airport in Paris. It's unknown if this was her beloved pup, Cissi.

Actor Gregory Peck was on set filming The Gunfighter when he received word from home that his Alsatian Police dog, Slip, had gone into labor. Here, the actor beams with pride as he poses with Slip's litter of 13 newborn puppies.

Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh drummed up plenty of publicity on the platform at New York's Grand Central Terminal with their arrival home from filming Houdini in California. The married couple surprised their black Poodle, aptly named Houdini, by pulling a live rabbit from a top hat.

The famous singer and composer, Wishart Campbell, is seen smoking a pipe in 1956 with his pet owl, Archie, perched on top.

Actress Betty White gives fans a glimpse at her life at home with her St. Bernard, Stormy. The notorious animal lover also had a Pekinese and a Poodle at the time. "Anything with a leg on each corner is my favorite. I find them all fascinating. Though if they have more than four legs, I'm not as quite as enthusiastic," Betty told MNN.

Comedian Hylda Baker steps out in London with her two pet monkeys. Hylda was on her way to perform in the Prince of Wales Royal Variety Show in 1956 and arrived in town, with her pets in tow, beforehand.

The Kennedy family was known for a having a hoard of animals follow them into the White House—from JFK's dog Friday to their children's pony, Macaroni. Here, Caroline and JFK Jr. are seen visiting their father at work, a.k.a. the Oval Office, with Macaroni.

Newlyweds Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are joined by their three Cocker Spaniels as they enjoy breakfast on the outdoor patio of their California farm, Desilu Ranch. In addition to their dogs, the MGM actress's five acre farm included a cow and a flock of chickens.

Pictured at the beginning of their romance, Debbie Reynolds arrives at the airport to meet crooner, Eddie Fisher, with her latest token of affection: their white Poodle puppy named Fanny Fisher. The couple got married later that year.

In her fashionable townhouse in London's Mayfair, Joan Collins and her husband, Maxwell Reed, admire their pet monkey, Spider.

Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart got married on their friend Louis Bromfield's farm in Lucas, Ohio in 1945. That same year, they adopted their Boxer, Harvey. The couple received Harvey as a wedding present from a friend. Harvey died only six months after Bogart passed away from lung cancer in 1957.

Audrey Hepburn and her pet fawn, who she filmed Green Mansions with in 1958, are one of the most iconic celebrity pet pairings. Hepburn grew so attached to the fawn during filming (Pippin even slept in her bed with her) that when she suffered a miscarriage after she finished shooting the film, her husband Mel Ferrer tracked him down and gifted it to her as a pet.

Queen Elizabeth has adored Corgis ever since she was a little girl, so much so that the royal was known to breed them at Buckingham Palace. Here, the young princess is seen with two of her family pets, Jane and Dookie.

Actress Kathleen Hughes caused a stir when she revealed that her secret to shiny waves was washing with duck egg shampoo. The eggs she used for the shampoo were laid daily by her pet duck.

Throughout her career, animal lover Elizabeth Taylor had been constantly surrounded by pets. In 1940, on one of her few days off from filming, she gave her Cocker Spaniels a bath. Here, the actress attends to Amy, who she named after her character in Little Women.

At first glance, one might think Zsa Zsa Gabor is tending to a dog. But look closer and you'll realize it's actually her pet sheep. In 1956, the actress was photographed bottle-feeding her pet, fit with a studded collar, on the patio of her Bel-Air home.

Taking a break from the action, actress Merle Oberon is seen reading something other than a script as her pet chow, Luke, joins her for the relaxing moment.

Ava Gardner's beloved Corgi, Rags, was a gift to the film star by her third husband, Frank Sinatra. Rags served as Ava's introduction to the breed and she continued to own Corgis for the rest of her life.

Known as the original blonde bombshell, Jean Harlow was the darling of MGM at the beginning of what is considered Hollywood's Golden Age, and her Pekingese, Oscar, was by her side during that time. Here, the actress is seen hugging her dog, who was inspiration for her role in Dinner at Eight.

Josephine Baker was given her pet cheetah, Chiquita, as a gift from her nightclub's owner for her to use in her act. However, after the show ended, Josephine kept Chiquita as a personal pet. But her Cheetah wasn't the only pet in her life: The entertainer also had a pet goat named Toutoute and a pig named Albert.

Here, we see Salvador Dalí and his rooster, Oscar. The renowned Spanish artist was accompanied by Oscar on his trip to New York City in 1955.

During her marriage to famous playwright Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe often retreated to Arthur's country home in Roxbury, Connecticut with the couple's basset hound, Hugo. After their divorce, Marilyn was gifted a white Poodle puppy from Frank Sinatra, which she named Maf.

Jayne Mansfield smiles with her five-month-old bulldog, Challenge, on the set of her movie The Challenge. The American bombshell, who was in England for a few months shooting the film, was given the puppy as a gift by an admirer.

Clint Eastwood had just landed his big break as Rowdy Yates on CBS's Rawhide when he gave fans a glimpse at his life at home with his first wife, Maggie Johnson, and his two pet Parakeets.

Actor Clark Gable is photographed with his beloved Irish Setter, Queen, in 1941. The animal lover also owned horses at his ranch in Encino, California.

Elizabeth Taylor grew up as a skilled equestrian, which came in handy when she starred in National Velvet as a child. The actress bonded with her costar, King Charles, so much so that MGM bought the show jumper as a 13th birthday present for Elizabeth.

When Hollywood actress Grace Kelly embarked across the Atlantic to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco, she didn't go alone. The actress had a furry friend by her side on the voyage: her Poodle, Oliver. Kelly was given the dog by her dear friend and costar Cary Grant.

Yes, you read that correctly. Not only did The Birds actress Tippi Hedren own a pet lion named Neil, but he lived in her house with her and her young daughter, Melanie Griffith. An advocate for wild cat rescue, Tippi founded the Roar Foundation in 1983 and eventually established the Shambala Reserve in California.

Accompanied by their mother and numerous pet dogs, Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth are seen visiting the royal family's aviary, which is kept on the grounds of the Royal Lodge at Windsor.

It was Groucho Marx that said, "outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." But while Groucho rummages through his fridge here looking for lunch, it is his black pet cat that appears by his side.

Elvis Presley had quite the menagerie of animals at his Memphis estate, Graceland. From chickens and donkeys to peacocks and a turkey, Elvis was constantly taking in new animals, but none more exotic than his wallaby. The animal was gifted to him by an Australian fan when he was shooting the music video for "Jailhouse Rock," but the singer eventually gave the pet to the Memphis Zoo.

Upon returning home from her six-month stay in London, Elizabeth Taylor met her parents at the airport to reveal her new tiny kitten, Tailspin. However, the actress's new pet wasn't the only new addition to her household: Elizabeth married her second husband, Michael Wilding, in London in February, 1952.

Actress Joan Crawford is seen arriving in style as she disembarks the train in New York City. Crawford's pair of Dachshunds, Stinky and Poopshin, joined her on the journey.

Lee Radziwill poses with her horse during a photoshoot at her English estate, Turville Grange, in Buckinghamshire. The American society, who was married to Prince Stanislaw of Poland until 1974, is joined by her son, Anthony, and their pet Labrador for the photo.

Throughout her life, Audrey Hepburn favored the Yorkshire Terrier dog breed and her pet, named Mr. Famous, caused the breed to rise in popularity. He also earned his fifteen minutes of fame when he served as her costar in Funny Face. Here, the starlet was greeted at the airport by Mr. Famous after she'd been away traveling.

Lauren Bacall made her son's day by gifting him a brand new Beagle puppy in 1965. Here, Lauren and Sam Robards get ready to board their flight to Los Angeles, as they place Daisy in her travel kennel.

Ingrid Bergman certainly looks the part of an equestrian in her riding pants as she visits her horse in California. The Swedish actress's skills on horseback came in handy when she starred in Joan of Arc in 1948.