Bo (dog)

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Bo
Bo official portrait.jpg
Official White House portrait of the First Dog
(May 2009)
Other name(s)First Dog of the United States[1][2][3]
Charlie (by previous owner)
SpeciesCanis lupus familiaris
BreedPortuguese Water Dog
SexMale
BornAmigo's New Hope[4]
(2008-10-09)October 9, 2008
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 8, 2021(2021-05-08) (aged 12)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nation fromUnited States
Known forPet of the Obama family
TrainingDawn Sylvia (Hume, Virginia)
Can sit, present paw/shake, lie down, roll over, get off, wait[5]
PredecessorBarney
OwnerObama 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]
Appearancetuxedo/black and white
Named afterObama 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]

Adoption[change | change source]

"Michelle Obama and her oldest daughter walk a small black dog whilst Barack Obama and their youngest daughter walk a short distance behind them"
The Obamas walking with Bo

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]

Death[change | change source]

Bo died of cancer on May 8, 2021 at the Obama residence in Washington, D.C., at the age of 12.[16]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dave, By (April 20, 2009). "Vigilant press spots Bo, the first dog, out for a walk | csmonitor.com". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "The White House – Blog Post – Meet Bo, the First Dog". Whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cooper, Helen (April 12, 2009). "One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo". The New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2009. Other Web sites, which have been tracking the saga of the selection of the first dog, were in a frenzy over the weekend.
  4. ↑ Silva, Mark (April 12, 2009). "Obamas' dog Bo: 'Amigo's New Hope'". Swamppolitics.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Obama Dog Trainer: Bo Already "Sits, Shakes, Rolls Over"". Us Weekly. April 15, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ "The Obama Dog Blog: Cappy's Breeder Rejects Obama Dog Connection". Dreamdogsart.typepad.com. April 15, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  7. ↑ Sostek, Anya (April 14, 2009). "First dog's father from Ambridge". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Bo Obama gets a playmate! Obamas adopt another dog". Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  9. ↑ Hess, Amanda (April 13, 2009). "PETA Encourages Obamas to Neuter Neutered Dog". nbcwashington.com. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  10. ↑ "World | Obama family 'picks first puppy'". BBC News. April 12, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  11. ↑ Feldmann, Lindie. "New little girl arrives at White House. Meet Sunny Obama. (+video)". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  12. ↑ Greene, Nick (April 15, 2009). "Obama's criticized for breaking promise of adopting dog from shelter". London: The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Obama's will adopt, rather than buy, a dog". San Jose Mercury News. 11 May 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  14. ↑ Visitant, Carol (April 16, 2009). "5 Things You Don't Know About First Dog Bo – Barack Obama". People. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  15. ↑ "The HSUS Congratulates First Family on New White House Dog". Humane Society of the United States. April 12, 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  16. ↑ Pasquini, Maria (May 8, 2021). "Michelle and Barack Obama Mourn the Death of Beloved Dog Bo". People. Retrieved May 8, 2021.

Other websites[change | change source]

Honorary titles
Preceded by
Barney
George W. Bush's Scottish Terrier 		White House pet dog
April 14, 2009–January 20, 2017
Served alongside: Sunny 		Succeeded by
Vacant
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