Obama mourns death of 'cherished' family dog

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 a 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."

Photos of first dog Sunny’s life with Obama family in the White House

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."

Obama said Sunny, a Portuguese water dog, loved his daughters, "even if they were pestering her when she was napping," and 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 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."

Born in Michigan in June 2012, Bo arrived at the White House in August 2013, USA TODAY previously reported .

The White House, at the time, had said Sunny was "the perfect little sister for Bo -- full of energy and very affectionate."

"The First Family picked her name because it fit her cheerful personality," it had said.

The family's first dog Bo, also a Portuguese water dog, died in May 2021 following a battle with cancer. He was a gift to the family from then-U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy. The Portuguese water dog breed is hypoallergenic , according to the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, which meshes well with the Obama family's allergies. Malia Obama, President Barack Obama's eldest daughter, suffered from canine allergies.

Obama, in a tribute at the time , said Bo had been "a constant, gentle presence in our lives—happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between" for more than a decade.

"He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair," he said. "He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly."

Sasha and Malia named him after the first lady's father, who had a nickname of "Diddley," and their cousin's cat, whose name also was Bo. The White House had listed his hobbies as playing on the lawn and going on walks. His favorite food was tomato and, despite his breed, he couldn't swim.

This story was updated with more information.

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.