Former US President Barack Obama has announced the death of the family's Portuguese Water Dog, Sunny, at the age of 13, describing the loss as that of "a cherished member of our family". He shared the news in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday, paying tribute to the dog's loyalty and lively character during her thirteen years with the family.

Sunny joined the Obamas at the White House in 2013, at the start of Barack's second presidential term, alongside the family's first dog, Bo, who died in 2021. Obama described Sunny as "a force of nature" with "boundless energy", recalling how she would leap over the South Lawn hedges chasing squirrels and birds. He wrote that the family would miss her terribly and imagined she was now reunited with Bo. The tribute came shortly after Obama and Michelle appeared publicly together at the 25th anniversary commemoration of 9/11 at Ground Zero.