Sunny was the Obamas’ second Portuguese Water Dog, joining in 2013
Sunny, a Portuguese Water Dog born in June 2012 in Michigan, joined the Obama family at the White House in August 2013, during Obama’s second term. She was obtained from a breeder, and the family made a donation to the Washington Humane Society upon announcing her arrival. The family chose to name her Sunny to “fit her cheerful personality.”
Unlike Bo, the Obamas’ first Portuguese Water Dog, Sunny was known for her energetic disposition. She made headlines in 2013 when she knocked over a toddler during a White House holiday party, and again in 2017 when Sunny allegedly bit a visitor on the face.
“She loved the girls, even if they were pestering her when she was napping. She loved our team, and would often follow them around, helping them on the job,” Obama said.
Bo died in 2021. “We will miss her terribly, and imagine she’s with her big brother now, making sure he’s okay,” Obama wrote, in an apparent reference to Bo.