Union Co. brother and sister meet Bo the White House dog | Politics

MONROE (Union County Public Schools) - A surprising opportunity of a lifetime!

It is said that a dog is a man’s best friend. Presidents down through the ages have had first dogs and firstcats as pets that have become famous.

President Obama, received the first dog, Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog puppy as a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy in April 2009. Recently, a brother and sister from Union County Public Schoolswere given an exciting opportunity – petting the first dog.

Nikki Schwab and Katy Adams, staff writers for the Washington Examiner penned their remarks about the opportunity in their online blog “YEAS & NAYS: People, Politics, and Power,” as printed below:

Sightings: Bo poses outside White House gates Who let the dog out?

That's likely what some lucky tourists were thinking Friday when first dog Bo Obama made a brief appearance outside the White House gates. Bo was bounding around the North Lawn while this year's White House Christmas tree was being unloaded. The Portuguese Water Dog then walked up to the Northeast gate to greet the children of Tom and Sue Schroeder, the couple responsible for donating the 18-and-a-half-foot balsam fir tree from Wisconsin.

Bo was then briefly escorted outside the gate for some "petting time" with several lucky visitors. "Bo was never on a leash," our source remarked. "But he was a perfect dog and just posed."

Those lucky visitors are Shiloh Elementary students, Corey and Lindsey Avant and their mother, Diane, who were in DC visiting family for the Thanksgiving holidays.

Lindsey’s mom said, “It was such a great surprise because Lindsey loves Bo so much. My brother lives in DC and had given Lindsey the stuffed animal of Bo and the book, Bo, Commander in Chief. We were leaving the White House area and I saw a few people gathered at the gate. I took a closer look and there was Bo, so I called for Lindsey to come over.”

“When that family was done Lindsey asked if she could pet him and the man [Bo’s handler] said yes.” Avant continued, “Corey and Lindsey got to pet him and we took a few pictures. After that they took Bo back inside the gate. So only the family that delivered the tree and Corey and Lindsey got to pet Bo. Once in a lifetime opportunity!”

Lindsey, a second grader, said, “"It was amazing! It was awesome because I love Bo! We were so lucky that they let Bo out of the fence."

"It was so cool! We were at the right place at the right time," said Corey, a fourth grader, when asked about the experience.