Jill Biden Sends Michelle Obama Her Condolences After Death of Family Dog Bo: 'My Heart Is with You'

Jill Biden is offering her condolences after the Obamas announced the death of their beloved family dog Bo.

"My heart is with you @MichelleObama, @BarackObama, Sasha, Malia, and Sunny. Bo brought smiles to us all," the first lady wrote on Twitter and Instagram Saturday.

President Barack Obama and former first family Michelle Obama welcomed Bo into their family in 2009, shortly after his first inauguration which Dr. Biden attended as second lady when her husband, now-President Joe Biden became vice president.

Also on Saturday, former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza penned a sweet tribute to Bo, along with a throwback photo and a video of him chasing the dog around the Cabinet Room. "As soon as Bo spotted me, he immediately knew it was time to play," Souza recalled in the caption. "Off to the Cabinet Room we would go. I'd chase him around the table, then stop and hide, and then start chasing him again."

Souza added, "It's a very sad day for the Obama family but also for all of us that knew and loved Bo. RIP. I will always remember our mornings runs around the Cabinet Room.⁣"

Bo, the Portuguese water dog who was reportedly a gift to Sasha and Malia from Senator Ted Kennedy, died Saturday, according to Mrs. Obama's statement. "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," the Becoming author recalled.

"For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, comforting presence in our lives. He was there when the girls came home from school, greeting them with a wag. He was there when Barack and I needed a break, sauntering into one of our offices like he owned the place, a ball clamped firmly in his teeth," the mother of two added. "He was there when we flew on Air Force One, when tens of thousands flocked to the South Lawn for the Easter Egg Roll, and when the Pope came to visit. And when our lives slowed down, he was there, too—helping us see the girls off to college and adjust to life as empty nesters."

Mrs. Obama also shared how she's "grateful" for all the time Bo got to spend with the whole family as they were all at home during the COVID lockdown. "This past year, with everyone back home during the pandemic, no one was happier than Bo," she wrote. "All his people were under one roof again—just like the day we got him. I will always be grateful that Bo and the girls got to spend so much time together at the end."

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In January, the Bidens' two German shepherds, Champ and Major, became the first dogs to take up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in four years as former President Donald Trump, notably, did not have any pets.

Major is the first rescue dog to live in the White House and was rescued from the Delaware Humane Association in November 2018, 10 years after Champ was welcomed into the family. Major was fostered by the Bidens before being adopted, and came from a "litter of German shepherd pups that were surrendered and not doing well at all," according to the Delaware Humane Association.