Former President Barack Obama and the Obama family are mourning the loss of a “cherished member” of their family.
Barack and wife Michelle shared the devastating news of the death of their beloved dog Sunny on Wednesday, September 16, with a touching tribute.
RIP Sunny
“Yesterday, we lost a cherished member of our family,” Barack and Michelle began in a joint Instagram post. “We got Sunny at the start of our second term in the White House, and all of us – including our first dog, Bo – immediately fell in love.”
The pair continued, “We also had trouble keeping up with her, for Sunny was a force of nature. Athletic and full of boundless energy, she leapt over the hedges on the South Lawn like they weren’t even there, chasing squirrels, birds and anything else that moved. And whereas the way to Bo’s heart usually involved a treat, Sunny was more interested in having us run around with her, roll on the floor with her, or have her belly rubbed for as long as we were willing.”
The pair added that Sunny “loved” their daughters, Sasha and Malia.
“Even if they were pestering her when she was napping,” they noted.
“She loved our team, and would often follow them around, helping them on the job. She was fiercely protective of Bo, who she rightly sensed wasn’t always as alert and attentive as she was. She had her eccentricities: other than Bo, she preferred people to dogs; she was a loud and sloppy drinker; and despite being a Portuguese Water Dog, she hated getting wet,” the Obamas added. “But as far as our family was concerned, she was pretty much perfect, and for thirteen years, she would be by our side – always loyal, always sweet, always ready for adventure, still fiery and gorgeous till the very end of her days.”
Barack and Michelle concluded, “We will miss her terribly, and imagine she’s with her big brother now, making sure he’s okay.”
Family Dogs
In addition to Sunny, the former First Family included two Portuguese Water Dogs: Sunny and Bo.
Bo tragically passed away in May 2021.
“He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected,” Barack wrote at the time. Bo had been “happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and every day in between.”
It’s not uncommon for sitting presidents of the United States to have pets in the White House. Bo and Sunny kept busy schedules during their time as First Dogs.
“Everybody wants to see them and take pictures,” Michelle said in 2016. “I get a memo at the beginning of the month with a request for their schedules, and I have to approve their appearances.”
“He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair,” Barack added in his tribute.
Bo passed away after a battle with cancer in May 2021, after joining the family in April 2009—shortly after they entered the White House. He was a gift from the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
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Barack and Michelle Obama Mourn ‘Cherished’ Family Member After Sudden Passing