Barack Obama releases statement after the death of family dog

Barack Obama has released a heartbreaking statement, following the death of his dog, Sunny, at the age of 13.

The family had owned the Portuguese water dog since Obama's second term as President, which began in January 2013. He accompanied their first dog, Bo, who died from cancer in 2021.

Announcing the sad news on X, formerly known as Twitter, the former POTUS penned: "Yesterday, we lost a cherished member of our family.

"We got Sunny at the start of our second term in the White House, and all of us – including our first dog, Bo – immediately fell in love. We also had trouble keeping up with her, for Sunny was a force of nature. Athletic and full of boundless energy, she leapt over the hedges on the South Lawn like they weren’t even there, chasing squirrels, birds and anything else that moved. And whereas the way to Bo’s heart usually involved a treat, Sunny was more interested in having us run around with her, roll on the floor with her, or have her belly rubbed for as long as we were willing," he continued in the lengthy statement.

Obama continued to speak about how the pooch 'loved the girls,' Malia and Sasha, despite them 'pestering her when she was napping'.

"She loved our team, and would often follow them around, helping them on the job. She was fiercely protective of Bo, who she rightly sensed wasn’t always as alert and attentive as she was," Obama continued.

The father of two then gushed about how Sunny 'preferred people to dogs' and was a 'loud and sloppy drinker'.

"But as far as our family was concerned, she was pretty much perfect, and for thirteen years, she would be by our side – always loyal, always sweet, always ready for adventure, still fiery and gorgeous till the very end of her days," he concluded the lengthy statement.

"We will miss her terribly, and imagine she’s with her big brother now, making sure he’s okay."

The post, which was duplicated on Instagram as a collab between Barack and his wife Michelle, on Instagram, was full of heartfelt messages from friends, family, and dog owners.

"Sunny forever," penned one. "What a legend. Thank you for sharing her with us. So sorry for your loss."

"Sunny was very lucky to have you as her people," wrote a second, while a third penned: "The only time dogs break our hearts is when they cross the rainbow bridge. May you be blessed with happy memories of Sunny forever."

Sunny's death comes five years after the death of their fellow Portuguese water dog, Bo, who was a gift for Malia and Sasha, as they moved into the White House.

"We had no idea how much he would mean to all of us," Michelle wrote following his death in 2021.

"He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected," Obama echoed.

Michelle also said that the pup helped them as 'empty nesters' when their daughter's moved out for college.