President Barack Obama is mourning the loss of a "cherished" family member.
The former president, in a Wednesday, Sept. 16, post on Instagram, shared his pet dog, Sunny, who joined the family during Obama's second term in the White House and immediately won their hearts, has died. He did not share the cause of death.
Describing his pet of 13 years as a "force of nature," Obama joked the family "had trouble keeping up with her."
"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," Obama wrote. "And whereas the way to Bo’s (the Obamas' first dog) 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."
Obama said Sunny, a Portuguese water dog, loved his daughters, "even if they were pestering her when she was napping," and loved their team, who she 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 said, adding that, other than Bo, she "preferred people to dogs."
Sunny was 'pretty much perfect'
Sunny also had her quirks. She was a loud and sloppy drinker, Obama said, and despite her breed, "she hated getting wet."
"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," Obama wrote. "We will miss her terribly, and imagine she’s with her big brother now, making sure he’s okay."
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Obama mourns death of 'cherished' family dog
