Bo, a Portuguese water dog, was gifted by the Obama family and to the Obama girls, Sasha and Malia, from Edward and Victoria Kennedy in 2009. His breed was carefully considered because of Malia’s allergies. According to the New York Times, his name was also carefully crafted “…their cousins had a cat with the same name and Mrs. Obama’s father was nicknamed Diddley, after the musician Bo Diddley.”   He passed away on May 8, 2021. The Obama’s first got Bo once former President of the United States, Barack entered his first term as president. According to what Michelle Obama told CBS News, “…we promised our daughters that we would get a puppy after the election…Bo was supposed to be a companion for the girls. We had no idea how much he would mean to all of us.”

Additionally according to ABC News Michelle Obama also said, “This afternoon was a difficult one for our family. We said goodbye to our best friend-our dog-Bo-after a battle with cancer.” His presence will be dearly missed and as Barack describes to CBS News, “he was a constant, gentle presence in our lives-happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and every day in between.” “He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly.” Others shared their condolences according to the New York Post, “It always made the day incalculably better to see Bo wandering around the west wing, said former Obama administration Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes.” It is clear that he was beloved by many people and the happiness he spread in such a stressful environment like the White House was well-enjoyed.