During these trying times, we express our condolences to the Obama family.
Bo, President Barack Obama’s first pet who enjoyed playing in the presidential suites, died on Saturday.
Michelle Obama confirmed on Instagram that Bo, who was 12 then, had cancer. The family had lost “a great friend and loyal companion,” according to President Barack Obama.
Bo “was a regular, loving presence in our life for more than ten years – pleased to see us on our good days, our bad days, and every day in between,” Mr. Obama wrote on Twitter.
He put up with the commotion of living in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, enjoyed swimming in the pool in the summer, and had great hair. Among the children, he was calm and collected.
Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy and his wife Victoria gave the first daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, a 6-month-old puppy as a gift in April 2009.
The children called the dog Bo in honor of singer Bo Diddley and partially because one of their cousins had a cat with the same name. The dog rapidly became the focus of national media attention.
After President Donald J. Trump’s term, the White House was pet-free for the first time in decades.
President Biden resumed the habit with his two German shepherds, Champ and Major, in January. Following several bite incidents, Major was recently sent for training.
Bo was well-known for entertaining the White House press corps while playing on the South Lawn, barking during press briefings, and receiving sympathy mail from young people throughout the country.
Naren Aryal and Danny Moore wrote Bo, America’s Commander on a Leash, a children’s book about him. He also sat with his tongue out for a ceremonial White House photograph.
Sunny, a second Portuguese water dog, joined Bo in the White House in 2013 after Mrs. Obama stated that Bo needed more dog interaction.
Originally intended to be a friend for Malia and Sasha, Bo has come to represent much more to the Obamas, according to Mrs. Obama.
She stated that the dog entered their offices “like he owned the room, a ball clamped firmly in his teeth” and that he was a “constant, comforting presence in our existence.”
According to her, he attended the Pope’s visit and the usual Easter egg roll on the South Lawn.
According to Mrs. Obama in an Instagram post signed “Michelle, Barack, Malia, Sasha, and Sunny,” after Malia and Sasha left for college, Bo assisted the couple in adjusting to life as empty nesters.
According to what she wrote, Bo was the happiest dog last year when everyone stayed home due to the epidemic. “Everyone was back together under one roof, just as they had been the day we bought him.”
