(CNN) -
The Obama family announced Saturday that their beloved dog Bo has died.
«It has been a difficult afternoon for our family.
We say goodbye to our best friend, our dog, Bo, after a battle with cancer, "said former first lady Michelle Obama in a statement posted on Instagram this Saturday.
The Obama family landed Bo shortly after they moved into the White House, fulfilling Barack Obama's campaign promise to give his daughters, Sasha and Malia, a dog in exchange for their campaign time.
"Today our family lost a true friend and faithful companion," the former president posted on Twitter this Saturday, adding that Bo "tolerated all the fuss that being in the White House implied, with a powerful bark but without biting, he loved to jump to the pool in the summer, he was unflappable with children, he was dying for scraps around the table and he had great hair.
Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion.
For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives — happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between.
pic.twitter.com/qKMNojiu9V
- Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 8, 2021
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Michelle Obama also wrote that Bo was there for the couple as their lives "slowed down" and helped them adjust to the "empty nest" when their daughters left for college.
"For more than a decade, Bo was a constant and gentle presence in our lives - happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and every day in between," the former president wrote.
In his memoir "A Promised Land," Obama recalled how "of all the pleasures that first year in the White House would bring, none were compared to Bo's arrival in mid-April, a huggable four-legged black lump with a white chest. like snow and on the front legs ”.
Bo, a Portuguese water dog, came to the Obamas as a gift from the late Senator Ted Kennedy and his wife Victoria.
"It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture - not just because the breed was hypoallergenic (a necessity due to Malia's allergies), but also because the Kennedys had made sure Bo was tamed before coming with us," Obama wrote.
The Obamas said they will miss Bo very much, "but we are grateful that he lived such a joyous life full of cuddles, ball games and spending evenings stretched out on the couch."
We also know that we are not the only ones taking care of Bo, and we are grateful for all the love they showed him over the years, ”the family said.
The Obamas also have another Portuguese water dog named Sunny.
CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
Barack Obama Michelle Obama
