Obamas’ family dog Bo dies
Obamas’ family dog Bo dies: Heartbroken former president says farewell to his ‘true friend and loyal companion’ who was a 2009 gift from Senator Ted Kennedy and was a fixture at the White House
- The Portuguese Water Dog, a gift from the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, was adopted by the First Family early in 2009
- He joined them for both terms in the White House
- Barack posted a series of pictures of his pet alongside a moving message
- ‘Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion’, he tweeted
- ‘He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite… and had great hair’
- ‘He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly’
The Obamas have bid a sad farewell to their family pet Bo who passed away Saturday from cancer.
The Portuguese Water Dog, a gift from the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, a key supporter of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign who became close to the family.
The dog was adopted by the First Family early in 2009 and joined them for both terms in the White House.
Bo helped Obama keep a promise to daughters Malia and Sasha that they could get a dog after winning the election in 2008.
The Obamas have said a sad farewell to their family pet Bo who passed away Saturday. Obama throws a ball for Bo, the family dog, in the Rose Garden of the White House September 9, 2010 in Washington, DC
The Portuguese Water Dog (right) was an important part of the family and joined them for the official family portrait in the Rose Garden of the White House in April 2015
On Saturday, the former president posted a series of pictures of his pet alongside a moving message describing Bo as a ‘true friend and loyal companion.’
‘Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion. For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives—happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between.
‘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.
‘He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly.’
President Barack Obama watches as Malia shows off their new dog Bo, then 6 months old on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Tuesday, April 14, 2009
First Lady Michelle Obama takes a photograph of Bo, the Obama family dog, in the White House Kitchen Garden, April 11, 2013
On Saturday, Barack posted a series of pictures of his pet alongside a moving message
A companion dog, Sunny, joined the family in August 2013.
Both were constant presences around the White House and popular among visitors there, often joining the Obamas for public events.
The dogs entertained crowds at the annual Easter Egg Roll and Bo occasionally joined Mrs Obama to welcome tourists.
The dogs also cheered wounded service members, as well as hospitalized children the first lady would visit each year just before Christmas.
In a post featuring a slideshow of images of Bo — including one of him sitting behind the president’s Resolute Desk in the Oval Office — Mrs. Obama recounted his years bringing some levity to the White House.
‘He was there when Barack and I needed a break, sauntering into one of our offices like he owned the place, a ball clamped firmly in his teeth. He was there when we flew on Air Force One, when tens of thousands flocked to the South Lawn for the Easter Egg Roll, and when the Pope came to visit,’ she wrote.
Mrs Obama wrote that she was grateful for the time the family got to spend with him due to the pandemic, and said that over the past year, ‘no one was happier than Bo.’
‘All his people were under one roof again,’ she wrote.
