Breaking: Obama Grieves, "We Lost A Cherished Member"
- Barack Obama announced the death of the family's Portuguese Water Dog Sunny, who had been with them since 2013
- Obama described Sunny as 'pretty much perfect', recalling how she bounded over hedges on the White House South Lawn
- Former White House photographer Pete Souza paid tribute to Sunny, noting her rare place in history
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Former United States President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday that Sunny, the family's Portuguese Water Dog, had died after 13 years by their side.
"Yesterday, we lost a cherished member of our family," Obama wrote on X, saying Sunny was "pretty much perfect" and always present for the family throughout the years.
Source: Twitter
Sunny joins the Obama family
The Obamas brought Sunny home in 2013, at the start of Obama's second term in office. She joined Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog who had arrived as a gift for daughters Sasha and Malia in 2009, shortly after the family moved into the White House. Bo died in 2021.
Obama recalled that the family "immediately fell in love" with Sunny from the moment she arrived. He described her as "full of boundless energy," capable of clearing the hedges on the South Lawn as though they were not there at all.
"She loved the girls, even if they were pestering her when she was napping. She loved our team, and would often follow them around, helping them on the job," Obama wrote.
He also noted her quirks with affection, calling her "a loud and sloppy drinker" who paradoxically hated getting wet.
A dog who met Popes and presidents
During her years at the White House, Sunny became a familiar presence at official events, greeting children at Christmas parties and appearing alongside foreign dignitaries on state visits. In 2015, both Sunny and Bo met Pope Francis in the Blue Room of the presidential residence.
Former chief White House photographer Pete Souza described it as an "honour" to have worked alongside her. He called Sunny a "willing subject" who had "the rare distinction of being petted by both a President and a Pope."
Obama closed his tribute by saying the family would miss her deeply and that she was now with her "big brother" Bo.
"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," he wrote.
The White House has a long tradition of presidential pets. Donald Trump is widely regarded as the only US president in the past 100 years to have kept no pet during his time in office.
See the announcement on X here:
Barack Obama speaks on US presidential election
Legit.ng earlier reported that former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have declared their support for Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate hopeful
Obama made the endorsement known in a tweet on Friday, July 25, adding that his family would do everything to ensure that Harris became the next US president.
The former US president was earlier said to have endorsed the vice president as Joe Biden's successor, highlighting her achievement as Attorney General of California and extolling her potential.
Source: Legit.ng
