Barack and Michelle Obama are mourning a loss that reaches far beyond politics or public life.
On September 16, 2026, the former president and first lady announced that their beloved Portuguese Water Dog, Sunny, had died the previous day after spending 13 years as part of their family. In their tribute, they called her a “cherished member of our family” and said they would miss her terribly. (ABC News)
For millions who remember the Obama years in the White House, Sunny was more than a family pet seen behind closed doors. She grew up in one of the most photographed homes in the world, appearing alongside Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha through countless family moments.
And behind those photographs was a dog the Obamas remembered as energetic, affectionate, quirky — and fiercely devoted to her family.
Sunny Joined the Family During Barack Obama’s Second Term
Sunny arrived at the White House in August 2013, several months after Barack Obama began his second presidential term.
She joined Bo, the family’s first Portuguese Water Dog, who had arrived in 2009.
According to the Obama Foundation, the family — Bo included — quickly fell in love with the new puppy. (Obama Foundation)
But Sunny was hardly a quiet addition.
The Obamas remembered her as a “force of nature,” describing a remarkably athletic dog with seemingly endless energy. She would leap over hedges on the White House’s South Lawn and chase squirrels, birds and almost anything else that moved. (ABC News)
Her personality was also quite different from Bo’s.
While treats could easily win Bo over, Sunny apparently preferred something much more interactive: running around with the family, rolling around on the floor and receiving belly rubs for as long as someone was willing to give them. (ABC News)
She Had a Special Bond With Malia and Sasha
Sunny arrived while Malia and Sasha were still growing up.
The Obamas recalled that she loved their daughters — even when the girls disturbed her while she was trying to nap.
She also became attached to members of the White House team, sometimes following staff members around as they worked. (ABC News)
Those small details offer a very different picture of life inside the White House from the formal photographs and televised speeches the public normally saw.
Behind the scenes, there was also a young family growing up with two dogs racing through the halls and across the South Lawn.
And Sunny quickly became an unmistakable part of it.
Sunny Was “Fiercely Protective” of Bo
One detail in the family’s farewell was especially touching.
Sunny wasn’t merely Bo’s companion. The Obamas said she became “fiercely protective” of him, particularly as he grew older and became less alert than his younger companion. (The Washington Post)
The pair became inseparable figures during the family’s White House years.
Photos captured them playing together in the snow, wandering around the grounds and accompanying the family during special occasions.
Sunny’s lively personality complemented Bo’s calmer disposition, according to the Obama Foundation. (Obama Foundation)
Then, in May 2021, the family lost Bo after a battle with cancer.
Sunny was suddenly the only Obama dog left.
Five years later, the family has now said goodbye to her as well.
She Even Met a Pope
Sunny’s unusual life also gave her experiences most family pets could never have.
In September 2015, when Pope Francis visited the United States, both Sunny and Bo were there to greet him in the Oval Office.
Former White House photographer Pete Souza captured the moment, and the image later became one of the memorable photographs from Sunny’s years in Washington. (Obama Foundation)
Souza reflected on that unusual distinction after her death: Sunny had been petted by both a president and a pope. (Obama Foundation)
Yet despite living amid presidents, dignitaries, cameras and White House ceremonies, the family’s memories of her are remarkably ordinary.
They remembered the running.
The belly rubs.
The naps.
The adventures.
And even the messy drinking.
Sunny Had Some Hilarious Contradictions
For all the polished White House photographs, Sunny apparently had plenty of quirks.
The Obamas remembered her as a loud and sloppy drinker who generally preferred people to other dogs.
Perhaps the funniest contradiction was her relationship with water.
Sunny was a Portuguese Water Dog — who hated getting wet. (ABC News)
Those were the imperfections that apparently made her even more beloved.
After remembering her eccentricities, the family summed up their feelings simply: as far as they were concerned, Sunny was “pretty much perfect.” (CBS News)
The Family Had Already Endured the Loss of Bo
The announcement inevitably brought back memories of another painful goodbye.
Bo died in 2021 after battling cancer.
At the time, Barack Obama described him as a constant, gentle presence who had tolerated all the commotion that came with life in a presidential family.
Sunny had been Bo’s little sister and companion for years.
That relationship remained at the heart of the family’s message when they announced Sunny’s death.
After saying how terribly they would miss her, the Obamas imagined that she was now back with her “big brother,” once again watching over him. (ABC News)
It was a simple thought, but for anyone who has lost two pets who once shared a home, it carried enormous emotional weight.
Thirteen Years of Family History
Sunny’s life happened to overlap with an extraordinary chapter in the Obama family’s story.
She arrived when Barack was president and Malia and Sasha were still teenagers.
She lived at the White House.
She met world leaders.
She watched the family leave Washington in January 2017 and begin an entirely different life.
And she remained with them long after the motorcades and daily White House routines disappeared.
The Obama Foundation said Sunny spent 13 years with the family and remembered the warmth and happiness she brought into both the White House and their home. (Obama Foundation)
That’s perhaps why the family’s announcement resonated with so many people.
The setting may have been extraordinary, but the loss itself was painfully ordinary.
A family had lost the dog who had quietly been present through more than a decade of their lives.
The Final Goodbye
Sunny died on September 15, 2026. The family publicly shared the news the following day. (The Washington Post)
Their tribute looked back on the things that made her unmistakably Sunny: the endless energy, her affection for Malia and Sasha, her devotion to Bo, her habit of following staff around, her hatred of getting wet and her willingness to turn almost any moment into an adventure.
Through all of it, one description stood out.
She was “always loyal, always sweet, always ready for adventure.” (The Washington Post)
For 13 years, Sunny had been beside them as their family changed, their daughters grew up and their lives moved far beyond the White House.
Now, after already saying goodbye to Bo five years earlier, the Obamas are mourning the last of the two dogs who shared that remarkable chapter with them.
As they wrote in their farewell, they like to imagine that Sunny is with her big brother again — making sure Bo is okay. (ABC News)
If you’re looking for more emotional stories, perhaps you’d like to read about Demi Moore’s dramatic hair transformation or Calista Flockhart’s rare red-carpet appearance. We also have a somber piece on the final recording from NewsChopper4 that sheds light on a tragic accident.
