The Obama family is mourning the loss of former First Dog, Bo. Michelle Obama announced that the 12-year-old Portuguese Water Dog passed away after battling cancer. In a post on Facebook, the former First Lady wrote:

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… As a family, we will miss Bo dearly. But we are thankful that he lived such a joyful life full of snuggles, games of fetch, and evenings spent lying on the couch… Please hug the furry members of your family a little closer tonight—and give them a belly rub from us.