The Obama family is mourning the loss of a beloved family member they shared during their time in the White House.
“Yesterday, we lost a loved one in our family,” former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama wrote on social media Wednesday.
The Obamas went on to reveal that the family’s beloved dog, Sunny, had passed away.
“We welcomed Sonny at the beginning of our second term in the White House and we all instantly fell in love, including our first dog, Beau,” their message read. “We had a hard time keeping up with her, too, because Sunny was a force of nature. Highly athletic and full of boundless energy, she leapt across the south lawn hedges as if they weren’t there, and flew over squirrels and birds and other moving objects. We chased everything. And although we usually needed a reward to get to Bo’s heart, Sonny was more interested in running around with us, rolling around on the floor with us, and getting belly rubs for as long as we wanted.”
Sunny’s death came just five years after the family’s first dog, Beau, died of cancer.
Both were a constant presence around the White House and were popular among visitors, often joining the Obamas at public events. The dogs entertained crowds at the annual Easter Egg Roll and cheered up wounded service members and hospitalized children whom the first lady visited just before Christmas each year.
“[Sonny]was fiercely protective of Beau, but she naturally sensed that Beau wasn’t always as guarded and observant as she was. She also had her quirks. Other than Beau, she preferred people to dogs. She was a loud, sloppy drinker and hated getting wet, despite being a Portuguese Water Dog,” the Obamas wrote. “But as far as our family was concerned, she was just about perfect. And for 13 years, she was by our side. Always loyal, always kind, always ready for an adventure, passionate and gorgeous until the very end. We will miss her so much, and imagine now she is with her brother, making sure he is okay.”