No bunnies for the Obama children this Easter: it’s a dog instead. A Portuguese water dog, given to President Obama’s family by Sen. Ted Kennedy.
The dog’s name? Bo… as in Bo Diddley, which is why he qualifies for PopWatch status. (Diddley is also, it’s been reported, a nickname for Michelle Obama’s father.) But being named after one of the great founders of rock & roll is noteworthy, and consider the alternative: Given the young Obama daughters’ musical tastes, that dog could have been named after one of the Jonas Brothers.
The older rocker, who died last year, even had a hit song the family can use when calling the pup: 1957′s "Hey Bo Diddley."
What do you think of the President’s choice of dog?
Michelle Obama promised they would “adopt a rescue dog” when they were campaigning in October. With something like 7-10 million cats and dats killed in shelters each year because there is no home for them, it’s unseemly and irresponsible for the Obamas to get a pet from a breeder. A terrible example to set and a missed opportunity to teach their kids about compassion and kindness for all creatures.
@linna: It would have been so much better if they got a shelter dog, but they had to get one that was hypoallergenic, as their daughter is allergic to dogs.
The Obama’s made a donation to a DC rescue fund instead. And technically, the dog is a rescue dog – it had to be re-homed, the previous family didn’t want it. So it would have ended up a rescue dog anyway – the Obama’s just saved it the trouble of having to go to a shelter.
The Obama’s made a donation to a DC rescue fund instead. And technically, the dog is a rescue dog – it had to be re-homed, the previous family didn’t want it. So it would have ended up a rescue dog anyway – the Obama’s just saved it the trouble of having to go to a shelter.
EW should be ashamed of themselves for not Laymantz’s comments. DISGUSTING. Maybe I won’t renew my subscription…
for not *filtering* Laymants’s comments, i meant
This dog is good for the economy right? I hope so ’cause SOMEONE’s been talking about it for months now.
what he said was inappropriate but this is a free country. he has his right to free speech.
It was returned to a breeder and would have just been re-sold by the breeder. This is *NOT* a rescue dog. And making a donation isn’t what they promised to do, they promised to adopt. No one made them make that promise.
Aside form the fact that there is no such thing as a hypo-allergenic dog (look up the research on it), dogs that people believe are such are very much available at shelters and breed-specific rescue groups.
What’s the problem with acknowledging they went back on their word? They did. it’s a documented fact so arguing about it seems…odd. They didn’t promise to make a donation to a shelter when camapigning, they promised to adopt a resuce dog from a shelter and they DIDN’T. The end.
WE have had 2 Porties over the last 17 years. They are the best dogs in the world. They are smart, loving and great family pets. Congratulations on a great choice for a great family!
Maybe REX should check out TMZ website, it’s got some really nice & fun comments to read.
I’m glad the Obama’s took their time and carefully researched the right breed of dog for them and then sought out a responsible breeder to obtain one from.
Oh shut up, linna. The Obamas had to make a compromise, which is a common and necessary part of politics. The health of their daughter outweighs setting an example. And while there are no hypoallergenic dogs, the Portuguese Water Dog is a low-dander breed shown to be better for people with dog allergies.
You clearly have an axe to grind. Maybe you should hang out with Laymantz Carter.
They didn’t have to make a compromise, they chose to break their word. Why is it so difficult for you to accept that they did something that wasn’t very nice? I voted and campaigned for Obama — that doesn’t mean I think everything he does is perfect. They screwed up here. You can be rude to me, but they went back on a promise and did the wrong thing and yelling at me isn’t going to change that.
If they wanted to get a dog from a breeder, they never should have promised to adopt a rescue dog when they were campaigning.
Obama’s decision to take a pure bred dog has just signed a death warrant for many dogs around the country. His decision will keep breeders and puppy mills in business for years to come as so many people will be eager to follow their president’s example. And let’s not forget the abuse of the breeding animals as their owners over breed in effort to fill the many orders for this newly popular breed. A lost opportunity for Obama and many lost lives for shelter dogs.