Canadian shelter has dog for Obama family
OTTAWA,(AFP)
A Canadian shelter is hoping a rescued Labradoodle puppy will make an
ideal gift from Canada's government for US President Barack Obama on his
first foreign visit, likely next month.
The Winnipeg Humane Society helped police break up an illegal puppy
mill in the city in December, and seized 55 Labradoodles, including 21
puppies and two pregnant females.
One of them, named "Lilly," has since given birth to a litter of 11
"bright and happy" puppies, the shelter's executive director Bill
MacDonald told AFP."When I learned that President Obama's first official
state visit would be to Canada, and that he was looking for a puppy for
his daughters, I thought a shelter puppy would make a great gift from
our government," he said.Obama promised daughters Sasha, seven, and
Malia, 10, a dog as a reward for their forbearance of the rigors of the
presidential campaign.The list of breeds in contention was narrowed by
Malia's allergy to dogs, making it necessary that the first family pick
an allergy friendly breed.
The US president has said his preference would be to adopt a pound
dog rather than getting one from a breeder or pet shop, and narrowed the
search to either a Labradoodle or Portuguese water dog.
"We're now going to start looking at shelters to see when one of
those dogs might come up," Obama told ABC's This Week in an interview.
MacDonald said he wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office
which passed on his dog offer to foreign affairs officials, who are
considering the proposal.The cute and cuddly Labradoodle is a cross
between Canada's iconic Labrador Retriever breed, which originated on
the Atlantic island province of Newfoundland, and France's Poodle.
Labs are the most popular breed in the United States, and crossing
and dog with the nonshed poodle usually results in a lower-shed
pet.Lilly's litter, now in foster care, will be ready for adoption in
the third week of February when they are done nursing. The brood
includes blonde and black pups.Obama is expected to visit Canada in
February or March. A date has not yet been announced.The Obama family
has also received offers of a hairless dog from a canine club in Peru,
and search help from the American Kennel Club.
What kind of dog the Obamas will ultimately choose has drawn enormous
public interest, and seems likely to spark a bump in popularity for
whatever breed the first family ultimately settles upon.
Every president since Calvin Coolidge, elected in 1923, has had at
least one dog in the White House, according to dogsinthenews.com.
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