Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

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In the past, the White House has played host to a diverse menagerie of pets, including the silkworms owned by John Quincy Adams, the nation's sixth president. ______ for the last few decades, nearly every White House pet has been a cat or dog.

In fact, all but a few US presidents have kept pets during their tenure in office;

Indeed, it's been suggested that pet ownership can bolster a president's public image;

That said, recent US presidents have stuck to more conventional choices;

Ultimately, Adams's uncommon pet choice had little bearing on his political legacy;