Top 8 Presidential Pets (2 of 5)

Sunny and Bo the Portuguese Water Dogs

During his 2008 election victory speech, President-elect Obama promised his daughters they had earned themselves a puppy. There was a great deal of fanfare over what kind of dog they’d select. Because Malia had a severe dog allergy, they would need one that was low-dander and non-shedding. Senator Ted Kennedy gifted them a six month-old Portuguese water puppy named Bo. in 2013, they added a second dog of the same breed, Sunny. When Bo died of cancer in 2021 at the age of 12, both Barack and Michelle posted moving tributes to their loyal companion.

Socks the Cat

Rather than adopting a cat from some exclusive breeder, the Clintons took in a stray cat when Bill was governor of Arkansas. They named him Socks, and the lucky feline got to join them when Clinton moved into the White House. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. When the Clintons adopted a Chocolate Lab named Buddy in late 1997, there was tension between the First Pets that couldn’t be resolved. So once Bill left the Oval Office, Socks was given a new home with his secretary Betty Currie.