Dog Names Ending in la

 One of the most famous of all of the dogs to share the White House with their owners was Fala, a black colored Scottish Terrier that was the constant companion to Franklin D Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States. Fala, whose original name was Big Boy, was renamed by the president in honor of a Scottish ancestor. President Roosevelt gave him the moniker Murray the Outlaw of Falahill instead but shortened it to just Fala for everyday use. Fala was an extremely charming animal who very much enjoyed the life of a pampered pooch. The little dog spent his nights sleeping in a chair at the foot of President Roosevelt’s bed and was hand fed by the President each night, sometimes leaving foreign dignitaries waiting as he completed his task. Fala’s cuteness and charm also got him in trouble on occasion, however, and early in his residency at the White House, the staff had to be instructed not to feed the little canine, as he was developing digestive difficulties. 

In his travels with his beloved owner, Fala met several leaders of state from other countries, including President Camacho of Mexico and the Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchhill. The dog was very popular in his own right and he received thousands of letters from the adoring public, so many letters in fact that a secretary was appointed to the little dog to help him to answer his fans. He was recognized where ever he went, so much so that the dog was dubbed “The Informer” by the Secret Service as attempts to travel discretely by the president often foiled because those who saw Fala on his walks outside knew that the President was near. A movie was made in 1943, showing what Fala’s life was like in the White House; the movie featured clips of Fala chasing a squirrel across the White House Lawn and of him nosing through a book of his news clippings (the film crew used bacon between the pages to tempt him). In January of 1945, he was mated to a female Scotty dog. While the mating was successful, the two terriers fought so viciously afterward that both required sutures. The President passed away in April of 1945 of a cerebral hemorrhage and Little Fala attended the funeral. He later went to live with Eleanor Roosevelt at her home known as Val-Kill, later to be joined by one of his grandsons, Tamas McFala, where he stayed until his death in 1952.