Bo Knows Bullshit

If you search the term "Bo" on Google right now you get 431,000,000 results. The first to come up does not go to Bo Concept or Bo Diddley*, but to the Obama's new dog.

Indeed the first dog is major news at the moment. A gift from Edward Kennedy, Bo is a 6-month-old Portuguese Water Dog with tuxedo cat colors that make him well-suited for all White House affairs.

Though Bo is without a doubt very cute, the Obamas originally said they were going to adopt a rescue dog. This got PETA, the ASPCA and shelters throughout the nation very excited as it would be a chance for Obama to set a good example. With over 11,000 dogs and cats euthanized each day (4 million a year) in the U.S., we could use a good example and no one has more influence than the president.

But now, instead of people rushing to shelters, they are rushing to pet stores and breeders to get a Portie for themselves--since Bo-bama was revealed, the breed has been in high demand across the globe. I understand that choosing a dog is a very personal matter involving several factors, including the well-being of children. Though some shelter dogs do have behavioral problems, the first fam could have easily found a mutt in need that met all their requirements by working with a rescue organization.

To top it all off, they got a puppy. Shelters are filled with adult dogs; the puppies go quickly. I know they wanted a young dog, but they could have gotten a 1 or 2 year old, at least setting a good example in that respect.

Everything said, while the papers were filled with Bo-bama news, pirate attacks soared, soldiers were killed and millions of homes faced foreclosure. In the grand scheme of things, I hope Barack did not spend more than 10 minutes thinking about the first dog.

*Some say the dog was named after Michelle's father's favorite singer. Others say the girls' cousin has a cat named Bo, so in very kid-style they named it the same thing. Option 2 sounds more realistic; 1 sounds like something the press secretary made up.