Sunny, the Obama Family’s Former White House Dog, Has Died

Sunny, the Portuguese Water Dog who joined Barack and Michelle Obama’s family during their White House years, died September 15, according to the family’s announcement reported by ABC News the following day.

The family remembered an energetic dog who loved playtime and attention and was protective of their first dog, Bo. Their tribute described 13 years together. Bo died in 2021.

Her age and her years with the family

Some current coverage describes Sunny as 13. The archived White House introduction says she was born in Michigan in June 2012, which would make her 14 in September 2026. The Obama Foundation dates her arrival at the White House to August 2013. Those dates distinguish her age from the 13 years she spent with the family.

Sunny in the White House archive

The Obama Foundation’s Bo and Sunny gallery identifies both dogs in dated official photographs. It shows them on the South Lawn in August 2013 and accompanying the Obamas as they greeted White House visitors that November. Bo had joined the family in April 2009; Sunny arrived four years later.

How we reported this: Buddylio reviewed the named sources, checked the organizations and figures shown above, and added context for animal lovers. Any illustration is labeled and does not depict the actual animals or scene. No cause of death was given in the announcement as reported by ABC News. Articles are editorial content, not veterinary advice.