Not super happy about the Obama dog

The new Obama puppy is adorable. But he is not a rescue dog. He's a purebred Portuguese Water Dog, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy. I get it. If Senator Kennedy lobbied me to accept one of his exceptional dogs I'd be hard-pressed to reject it.

But I had such hope when Obama said they preferred to get a rescue dog. And he could have used a PWD rescue dog organizations or actually taken his little girls to a shelter that housed an allergy-free dog or two. He could have set the example for millions to follow. He's our national icon; realistically, thousands of people are now going to search out purebred PWD's. They'll get them from puppy mills. It's inevitable. And this breed is reputed for its high level of energy and tendency to mouth everything. It's a nightmare for the uninformed consumer. Which means for most consumers. Which means two years from now animal shelters will be killing thousands more mid-sized black dogs just like Bo.

Only not so lucky.

Image source: Pete Souza, NPR.org