Gone to the dogs: why has the 2024 US election featured so many disturbing animal tales?

Cuddly White House pets have been swapped out for stories of dog killing, whale decapitating and bear pranks

Animals have always played a role in political lore in the US, whether it's a series of beloved and cuddly White House pets or Teddy Roosevelt's love of horses that helped cement his robust public image.

But as the US's traumatic 2024 election has played out, amid warnings of democracy under threat, multiple attempted assassinations of Donald Trump and fears of civil unrest, it seems that the political treatment of animals in US politics has also taken a disturbing turn.