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

"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

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

Bo (dog) Media

  • The Obamas welcome Bo, a six-month old Portuguese water dog and a gift from Senator and Mrs. Kennedy to Sasha and Malia, recently at the White House.

  • Bo wearing a lei upon his White House arrival

  • Bo and Obama running through the east wing of the White House

  • Bo, the Obama family dog, pauses for a moment in the Rose Garden of the White House, March 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)*This official White House photograph is in the public domain from a copyright perspective, so while restrictions such as personality or privacy rights may apply, in general, manipulations are allowed.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dave, By. Vigilant press spots Bo, the first dog, out for a walk | csmonitor.com (April 20, 2009)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 DogWhitehouse.gov. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13obama.html. 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. http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/04/obamas_dog_bo_amigos_new_hope.html. Retrieved October 19, 2009. 
  5. ↑ Obama Dog Trainer: Bo Already "Sits, Shakes, Rolls Over". Us Weekly (April 15, 2009). Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ The Obama Dog Blog: Cappy's Breeder Rejects Obama Dog Connection (April 15, 2009)Dreamdogsart.typepad.com. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  7. ↑ Sostek, Anya (April 14, 2009). "First dog's father from Ambridge". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09104/962604-57.stm. 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. http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/PETA_Encourages_Obamas_to_Neuter_Neutered_Dog.html. Retrieved April 15, 2009. 
  10. ↑ World | Obama family 'picks first puppy'. BBC News. April 12, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7995570.stm. 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. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5154973/Obamas-criticised-for-breaking-promise-of-adopting-dog-from-shelter.html. Retrieved April 26, 2009. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Obama's will adopt, rather than buy, a dog (11 May 2008)San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  14. ↑ Visitant, Carol. 5 Things You Don't Know About First Dog Bo – Barack Obama. People (April 16, 2009). Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  15. ↑ The HSUS Congratulates First Family on New White House Dog (April 12, 2009)Humane Society of the United States. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  16. ↑ Pasquini, Maria (May 8, 2021). "Michelle and Barack Obama Mourn the Death of Beloved Dog Bo". People. https://people.com/pets/michelle-obama-barack-obama-mourn-death-dog-bo/. Retrieved May 8, 2021. 

Other websites

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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