Obama Announces Loss of Family Dog Sunny After 13 Years

Sunny, the Obama family’s Portuguese water dog, died after 13 years with the family, and Barack Obama announced her death on September 16. She joined the family in 2013 during Obama’s second term and was especially close to daughters Malia and Sasha and the family’s older dog, Bo, who died in 2021. Obama remembered Sunny as an athletic, energetic and fiercely protective companion, calling her a cherished “force of nature” who loved chasing animals around the White House grounds. He also recalled her quirky habits, including preferring people to other dogs, drinking loudly and messily, and disliking water despite her breed. Reports differed on whether Sunny was 13 or 14, and the family did not disclose a cause of death; they said they would miss her deeply and imagined she was reunited with Bo.