Passing of the former White House pet

Former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama announced on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, that their Portuguese Water Dog Sunny died on Tuesday, 15 September. The canine was described in family statements and media reports as 13 or 14 years old, having been born in Michigan in June 2012. The Obamas chose the Portuguese Water Dog breed because their elder daughter Malia suffered from allergies, requiring a hypoallergenic dog with a single-layer coat that does not shed hair.

“Yesterday, we lost a cherished member of our family.”

Arrival and duties at the executive mansion

Sunny entered the White House in August 2013 during the initial months of Barack Obama's second term as president. Her arrival came four years after the family acquired their first Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, who had joined them in 2009. The Obamas obtained Sunny from a breeder and marked her introduction to the public by making a financial donation to the Washington Humane Society. The family selected her name to reflect what they characterized as an upbeat, cheerful personality.

Throughout her residency at the White House from 2013 until January 2017, Sunny served as an official companion and regular presence at public functions. She interacted with visiting children at White House holiday receptions, welcomed foreign dignitaries, and joined Bo in 2015 for an official greeting with Pope Francis. Her high energy occasionally drew headlines, such as when she knocked over a toddler during a 2013 holiday reception and an incident in 2017 involving an alleged bite to a guest's face.

Temperament and bond with the family

Barack Obama described Sunny as an athletic companion with boundless energy who routinely vaulted over the hedges on the South Lawn to chase squirrels and birds. Unlike Bo, who was primarily driven by food treats, Sunny preferred physical play with humans, frequently asking for belly scratches, running alongside family members, and rolling on the floor.

Sunny also possessed distinct quirks, including a vocal dislike of water despite belonging to a water retriever breed, as well as noisy drinking habits. While indifferent to most other dogs, she was protective of Bo, sensing that he was less vigilant than she was. She was devoted to daughters Malia and Sasha Obama, tolerating interruptions to her naps, and often followed White House staff members from room to room as they completed their daily duties.

“We will miss her terribly, and imagine she's with her big brother now, making sure he's okay.”

Presidential pet history and private life

Following the end of the Obama administration in January 2017, Sunny remained with the family in private life for nearly a decade. She outlived Bo, who died in 2021 after twelve years with the family.

Sunny's life continued an established tradition of White House animals, following pets such as George H.W. Bush's spaniel Millie, Bill Clinton's Labrador Buddy, and George W. Bush's terrier Barney. While pet ownership in the executive mansion has long been customary, President Donald Trump did not keep any companion animals during his tenure in office.