Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama announced the death of their Portuguese water dog Sunny, calling her "pretty much perfect" after thirteen years as part of the family.

The Obamas shared a joint statement on social media Wednesday, confirming that Sunny died the day before. She was 13 years old. No cause of death was given, and the family did not disclose where Sunny had been living at the time.

Barack Obama posted the announcement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday morning. The statement opened simply:

"Yesterday, we lost a cherished member of our family."

Sunny arrived at the White House from Michigan in August 2013, midway through Obama's second term. She joined Bo, the family's first Portuguese water dog, who had been with them since 2009. For nearly four years, both dogs roamed the grounds at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a detail the Obamas recalled with warmth.

Sunny earned a reputation as the livelier of the two Obama dogs

The Obamas described Sunny as "a force of nature" who chased squirrels, birds, and anything else that moved. She preferred attention and playtime over treats, they said, and was "fiercely protective of Bo."

In their statement, the former president and first lady painted a picture of a dog who never slowed down, even in her final years. As ABC News reported, the Obamas wrote that Sunny remained "fiery and gorgeous till the very end of her days."

"Athletic and full of boundless energy, she leapt over the hedges on the South Lawn like they weren't even there."

The family said Sunny was "particularly close" with daughters Malia and Sasha Obama. Whether either daughter was present when Sunny died was not disclosed.

Presidential pets have long held a minor but real place in American public life. AP News noted that President Trump currently has no pets at the White House, a break from a tradition that stretches back generations. The Obamas, by contrast, made Bo and Sunny fixtures of their public image, the dogs appeared in official White House Christmas photos, Easter portraits in the Rose Garden, and even played with journalists outside the press room.

Bo's death from cancer in 2021 left Sunny as the last Obama dog

Bo, the older of the two Portuguese water dogs, died in 2021 after a battle with cancer. His death drew widespread public attention at the time. Sunny spent the last five years as the family's sole surviving pet.

The Obamas closed their statement with a line that nodded to both dogs. Michelle Obama, who has spoken publicly in recent years about life after the White House, co-signed the sentiment alongside her husband:

"We will miss her terribly, and imagine she's with her big brother now, making sure he's okay."

Born in June 2012, Sunny spent her first year before joining the Obamas at the White House. Photo records show her on the South Lawn as early as August 19, 2013, the day she arrived from Michigan. By September of that year, she was already photographed outside the press room and mingling with reporters.

In November 2013, Michelle Obama, Sasha, and Malia posed with both dogs at the North Portico to receive the official White House Christmas tree. A family portrait with Bo and Sunny in the Rose Garden followed on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015. By November 2016, near the end of the Obama presidency, Michelle Obama was photographed with nephews Austin and Aaron Robinson and both dogs at the same North Portico ceremony.

Thirteen years is a full life, but the Obamas' statement left key questions unanswered

Barack Obama has remained a prominent voice in Democratic politics since leaving office, but this week's announcement was strictly personal. The joint statement made no mention of a cause of death, a veterinary condition, or any details beyond the family's memories.

For a family that built part of its public brand around two Portuguese water dogs, the loss marks the end of a chapter. Bo and Sunny were among the most photographed presidential pets in modern history, fixtures of a carefully managed image that followed the Obamas from the White House into private life.

The Obamas summed up Sunny's place in the family in a single line that doubled as the statement's emotional center:

"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."

Michelle Obama's public appearances in recent years have ranged from the political to the deeply personal. This week fell squarely in the latter category.

Losing a dog after thirteen years is something millions of American families understand without explanation. Whatever else divides the country, that part needs no translation.