Barack and Michelle Obama Mourn Death of Beloved Family Dog Sunny After 13 Years Together

The former president and first lady have announced the death of Sunny, their energetic Portuguese Water Dog who became a familiar White House presence and remained with the Obama family long after they left Washington.

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are mourning the death of Sunny, the Portuguese Water Dog who spent more than a decade as a beloved member of their family.

The Obamas announced Sunny’s death on September 16, saying she had died the previous day after thirteen years by their side, including several memorable years living inside the White House.

Sunny joined the family in August 2013, during Barack Obama’s second presidential term, becoming the Obamas’ second Portuguese Water Dog and a companion to their first dog, Bo.

From the beginning, the family described Sunny as unusually energetic, athletic and adventurous, a dog who could race across the South Lawn and leap over hedges while chasing anything that moved.

Obama recalled that Sunny often preferred playtime and affection to treats, constantly encouraging family members to run with her, roll around on the floor or continue rubbing her belly.

She also formed a close bond with daughters Malia and Sasha, tolerating their attention even when they disturbed her naps and remaining a familiar presence throughout their teenage years.

Sunny became attached to White House staff as well, often following members of the president’s team through the residence and offices as though she were helping with their daily work.

Her relationship with Bo was particularly strong. Obama remembered Sunny as fiercely protective of her older companion, who was calmer and, in the family’s telling, sometimes less alert than she was.

The two dogs became recognizable White House figures, appearing in official photographs, holiday decorations, family portraits and public events during the final years of the Obama administration.

Sunny also met prominent visitors, including Pope Francis during his 2015 trip to Washington, creating one of the many lighter moments documented during the Obama family’s years in the White House.

Despite belonging to a breed famous for working around water, Sunny reportedly disliked getting wet, one of several quirks the Obamas fondly remembered while describing her lively personality.

She also preferred people to most other dogs, drank water noisily and maintained what the family described as a fiery spirit even as she grew older after leaving the White House.

The Obama Foundation said Sunny helped make the White House feel like home, bringing warmth and energy to a setting otherwise defined by official ceremonies, security and presidential responsibilities.

Sunny had been born in Michigan in June 2012 and arrived at the White House the following year, when the family introduced her publicly as the newest member of the Obama household.

Her arrival gave Bo a canine companion after four years as the family’s only dog, and the pair quickly became fixtures in photographs from the South Lawn and White House residence.

Bo died from cancer in 2021, a loss the Obamas also marked publicly with an emotional tribute celebrating his companionship throughout their years in Washington and afterward.

In their message about Sunny, the family said they imagined she was now with her “big brother” again, a reference to the long friendship the two dogs shared.

The announcement prompted widespread condolences online from people who remembered Sunny from White House photographs and from pet owners who recognized the grief associated with losing a longtime companion.

Sunny’s death also revived memories of America’s long tradition of presidential pets, whose appearances often provide an informal and personal counterpoint to the politics surrounding the White House.

For the Obamas, however, the tribute remained primarily personal: after thirteen years of loyalty, mischief and companionship, they remembered Sunny as an irreplaceable family member they would deeply miss.