Obama’s pet dog, who joined them in the White House, has died

The former president, in a Wednesday, Sept. 16, post on Instagram, shared his pet dog, Sunny, who joined the family during Obama’s second term in the White House and immediately won their hearts, has died. He did not share the cause of death.

Describing his pet of 13 years as a “force of nature,” Obama joked the family “had trouble keeping up with her.”

“Athletic and full of boundless energy, she leapt over the hedges on the South Lawn like they weren’t even there, chasing squirrels, birds and anything else that moved,” Obama wrote. “And whereas the way to Bo’s (the Obamas’ first dog) heart usually involved a treat, Sunny was more interested in having us run around with her, roll on the floor with her, or have her belly rubbed for as long as we were willing.”

Obama said Sunny, a Portuguese water dog, loved his daughters, “even if they were pestering her when she was napping,” and loved their team, who she would “often follow them around, helping them on the job.”