Obama: Most shelter dogs are mutts like me

Obama: New dog could be 'mutt like me'
Posted: 03:33 PM ET

From CNN Assignment Editor Lauren Kornreich

President-elect Obama told reporters Friday that his eldest daughter, Malia, has allergies which might preclude the family from adopting a shelter dog which would likely be a 'mutt' like Obama.

(CNN) – In his first press conference since winning the race to the White House, President-elect Barack Obama addressed a pressing question: who is going to be the first dog?

Obama told a group of reporters in Chicago on Friday that since his 10-year-old daughter, Malia, is allergic, the Obama family is looking for a hypoallergenic breed. But Obama also said the family wants to adopt one from a shelter.

“There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic, but on the other hand our preference is to get a shelter dog, but obviously, a lot of the shelter dogs are mutts like me,” Obama said. “So, whether we are going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household.”

Obama is of mixed racial heritage: His mother was Caucasian and his father was African.

Obama announced in his victory speech on Election Day that his daughters had “earned” a puppy. Obama joked that this is a “major issue” and said that since Election Day, the family’s dog choice has created more interest than any other topic.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/07/obama-new-dog-could-be-mutt-like-me/