Cute alert! JK's new PUPPY!!!

[Luftmensch067]

When he returns to Washington after the holiday this week, we hear that Kerry will be bringing back more than some turkey leftovers — he’ll have a newly adopted yellow lab in tow. The pup’s name is Ben, as in Franklin, the American icon whose credits include “Father of the Foreign Service,” an institution over which Kerry now presides, and creator of the Great Seal of the U.S., over which the secretary of state is a custodian.

Franklin’s namesake, though, has less lofty interests — toys and treats, mainly (yeah, about that turkey…).

Adorable!!!

More here!

[ProSense]

1. LOL!

"Undersecretary for Biscuits?"

[Luftmensch067]

2. Yeah :-)

Also, did you notice that the photo credit was JK himself?

[ProSense]

3. Yeah, cute pup

proud pop.

[veganlush]

4. why not dog leftovers

And a pet turkey instead? Boycott cruelty

[irisblue]

7. "dog leftovers"

umm,

[broiles]

5. Now he has a friend in Washington.

[mylye2222]

21. ????

Why, he didn't had before? Impossible! A lovely guy like him.....

[irisblue]

6. Labs stay puppy like for a long time.

Up to a year, the dog 'teen' time is shorter, but since they are taller than, the mischief is higher up and bigger. From my experience with angel Alex, when the adult dog brain locks into synapses they are totally perfect. Happy times ahead

[wisteria]

8. What a cute little guy. I love the name. Ben Franklin was one impressive leader.

Born in Mass. and lived in Philadelphia when he wasn't traveling-but it seemed he traveled most of the time. He was an impressive diplomat. As for Little Ben, you know what they say about Washington, "if you want a friend, get a dog".

[Blaukraut]

9. Cute puppy, but sorry, JK with a cat would be way cooler ;)

What is it with politicians and dogs anyway? The Clintons even sold out and abandoned poor Socks.

[wisteria]

10. I agree. I am a cat person, but I can understand the charm of dogs.

And, I also thought what they did to Socks was sad. Apparently, Socks didn't get along with the dog. So, what do they do? They unload Socks and not the wimpy dog.

[JI7]

13. JK has always been a dog guy, even in vietnam he adopted a puppy

[karynnj]

11. The trainer describes dog - and how nice JK was

Frances Plessner of Puddleduck Boarding Kennel in Morrill said that Ben was a pleasure to work with, and so was the politician. She spent about an hour Tuesday evening working with Kerry and his dog together before Kerry and the retriever drove off in a black SUV.

“He was really good. He’s a really smart puppy. He pretty much exceeded my expectations,” she said of Ben, who will be a family pet. “John Kerry loves the dog. … [Kerry] was awesome. So polite, so nice. I honestly thought I would be so nervous, but he was so relaxed.”

She said that the secretary of state got Ben as a 5-month-old puppy from a woman in Massachusetts, who told him that the dog needed a lot of training. When Kerry asked the woman for help finding a trainer, Plessner, who raises Labrador retrievers and trains dogs professionally, was at the top of the list.
<snip>
“I thought maybe he was going to be a jerk, but he’s not,” Plessner said. “He’d call me, even with his busy life. He’d call me when he was in other countries. He just wanted the best for the dog — not over-the-top, just whatever Ben needed.”

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/11/27/news/midcoast/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-flies-to-maine-to-pick-up-new-dog/

[wisteria]

12. Nice picture. That is going to be one spoiled dog.

He is a handsome lab.

[JI7]

14. it's a yellow dog

[Luftmensch067]

15. Very sweet news video -- not much that's different from what's been posted

But it's a nice story:
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/264246/2/Green-Outdoors-Secretary-of-State-Kerrys-dog-trained-in-Maine

[karynnj]

16. Guess who came to the state department's building?

[MBS]

17. : )

wonderful.

[Inuca]

20. Saw this

or another very similar piture (I think the dog had his head up...) yesterday, JK tweeted it himself . Looks just like my puppy, only my pup will stay that size, while this one will turn into a big guy.

[MBS]

18. JK and puppy make the WaPo

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2013/12/09/john-kerrys-call-of-dooty/

photo is labeled: "courtesy of John Kerry"

John Kerry spent Saturday night hosting the Kennedy Center Honorees at the State Department and Sunday night sitting next to the president’s box for the gala performance. And Sunday morning? He cleaned up puppy poop. The Secretary of State, wearing a bright red knitted hat, showed up at Volta Park in Georgetown with his 7-month-old yellow Lab, Ben. After a pleasant exchange with another dog owner, Ben did his business and Kerry pulled out a bag and cleaned up — while his security detail watched. Some things you just can’t delegate.

[Luftmensch067]

19. ROFL!

Love that elevator picture! And re this article -- wouldn't you love to have seen that knitted hat? Reminds me of the story Vanessa told about the "fluorescent orange hunting cap" he was wearing at one of her school soccer games when she tried to pretend she didn't know him.