Other name(s) | First Dog of the United States[1][2][3] Charlie (by previous owner) |
---|---|
Species | Canis lupus familiaris |
Breed | Portuguese Water Dog |
Sex | Male |
Born | Amigo's New Hope[4] October 9, 2008 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Died | May 8, 2021 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 12)
Nation from | United States |
Known for | Pet of the Obama family |
Training | Dawn Sylvia (Hume, Virginia) Can sit, present paw/shake, lie down, roll over, get off, wait[5] |
Predecessor | Barney |
Owner | Obama family |
Parent(s) | Dam: Penny (Amigo's Phor What Its Worth) (Boyd, Texas) Sire: Watson (Valkyrie's Dr. Watson Is Here) (Ambridge, Pennsylvania)[6] Breeder: Julie Parker[7] |
Appearance | tuxedo/black and white |
Named after | Obama girls' cousins' pet cat and also Bo Diddley |
Bo[8] (October 9, 2008 – May 8, 2021) was a pet dog of the Obama family, the former First Family of the United States.[2] Bo was a neutered[9] male Portuguese Water Dog.[2]
Barack Obama and his family were given the dog as a gift after months of speculation about the breed and identity of their future pet.[10] The final choice was made partly because Malia Obama's allergies made a hypoallergenic breed necessary.
Bo was occasionally given the title "First Dog of the United States of America".[1][2][3] In August 2013, Bo was joined by Sunny, a female dog of the same breed.[11]
The Obamas originally wanted to adopt a dog from an animal shelter, but made no promises.[12] In the summer of 2008, Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare organization, gathered 50,000 signatures on a petition asking the family to adopt a shelter animal.[13]
Bo is a gift through a breeder and is not a shelter dog. Dog expert Cesar Milan said Bo was part of a larger group known as "rescue dogs". He was unsuccessful in his first home when plans for him to be friends with an older female dog did not go well.[14] The Obamas pledged a donation to the DC Humane Society in a show of support for shelter dogs.
Some animal welfare supporters criticized The White House for not adopting a shelter dog.[13] The Humane Society of the United States released a statement thanking the Obamas "for taking in a second-chance dog," but also discouraged going through breeders.[15]
Bo died of cancer on May 8, 2021 at the Obama residence in Washington, D.C., at the age of 12.[16]