Barack Obama and his wife Michelle paid their last respects to their beloved dog who had been with them since the two made history in 2008.
The former president and first lady revealed that Bo had succumbed to complications associated with cancer. Many remember that speech in Chicago when Barack Obama won the presidency and promised that his prepubescent daughters, Malia and Sasha, would get a dog to accompany them into the White House.
Michelle Obama, 56, was the first to tell her 46 million Instagram followers of the loss of Bo, who had become a family member.
“This afternoon was a difficult one for our family. We said goodbye to our best friend — our dog, Bo — after a battle with cancer,” Michelle Obama penned in a long soliloquy.
“On the campaign trail in 2008, we promised our daughters that we would get a puppy after the election. At the time, Bo was supposed to be a companion for the girls. We had no idea how much he would mean to all of us.”
Barack Obama, 59, came right behind his wife and told his 35 million followers in an equally long send off to the family’s unwavering companion, friend and unofficial therapist.
“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,” Barack Obama wrote. “He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly.”
