Obama family dog Bo, a ‘constant, gentle presence’, dies

Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s family dog Bo, a male Portuguese Water Dog with a mop of black and white fur who became a familiar playful sight around the White House, has died.

Obama announced the death late on Saturday, saying the dog had been “a constant, gentle presence in our lives – happy to see us on our good days, our bad days and everyday in between”.

“We will miss him dearly,” he said on Twitter.

First dog Bo sneaks away under a table from U.S. First lady Michelle Obama (not pictured) while visiting military families before Easter at Fisher House in Bethesda, Maryland March 20, 2013. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo

His wife Michelle Obama said in a separate tweet that Bo, 12, had been suffering from cancer.

Bo came to the White House in 2009 soon after the start of Obama’s first term and was joined a few years later by a female of the same breed called Sunny.

Obama, who left office in 2017, praised Bo’s calm demeanor in the White House, saying the dog “had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair.”

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source: reuters.com