Obama`s Dog to be chosen soon

Obama to choose a " First Dog "

Fisher students weigh in with their personal dog selection

Barack Obama, wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha won't be the only ones moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. this January.

Along with them will go a four-legged Obama-the dog the president-elect promised his daughters after spending so much time away from home on the campaign trail.

"I love you both more than you can imagine," Obama told his daughters in his victory speech Nov. 4. "You have earned the puppy that is coming with us."

An American Kennel Club (AKC) poll was conducted over the summer solicit the public's opinion on what type of "First Dog" Obama should get his daughters. Nearly 42,000 people cast votes, with a purebred poodle winning the poll.

The AKC indicated that this breed would be a good choice for the Obamas to adopt, since Malia, 10, has allergies and poodles have hypoallergenic coats. The AKC also noted that breeds such as the poodle, miniature schnauzer, bichon frise and Chinese crested are ideal since they are hypoallergenic, stable and friendly around children and have moderate energy levels.

Malia has indicated that she'd like a "goldendoodle," a hypoallergenic mix of a poodle and a golden retriever.

Members of the Fisher community expressed opinions about a variety of dogs the First Family could share the White House with.

"It's gotta be a big dog," Murphy Hall residence director Carmela Barbagallo said. "It's a big house, it's gotta be a big dog."

Senior Emily Housecamp was a bit more specific.

"I think they should get a pug because they're sweet little lover dogs and aren't super high maintenance," she said.

And senior Tom Hammel had yet another idea, favoring the thought of a golden lab.

"I guess that's the kind of dog I'd always want," he said.

The presidential pooch could satisfy students and polls alike by being a mix of all of these, as Obama has indicated his family will rescue a mixed-breed dog from a shelter.

Adopting a canine in need resonates well with the Fisher community, as Barbagallo, Housecamp and Hammel all said they'd prefer adoption to buying a dog.

"That's the best way to go, definitely," Hammel said. "Help someone out."

Surprisingly, something as simple as adopting a dog could draw support for Obama from political corners that were previously lukewarm on him.

An Associated Press/Yahoo! News poll over the summer found that 42 percent of pet owners planned to vote for John McCain while 37 percent supported Obama. Most of the voters indicated that they were dog owners.

Additionally, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) indicated it would support the Obamas' choice to take in a shelter pet.

"No one needs to tell you that this country is proud to be a melting pot and that there is something deeply wrong and elitist about wanting only a purebred dog," PETA president Ingrid Newkirk wrote in an open letter to Obama. "Millions of Great American Mutts -- the dog that should be our national dog -- are set to die in our nation's extremely overcrowded pounds and shelters for lack of good homes."

For area students considering following in the First Family's footsteps and taking in a furry friend over the holidays, Lollypop Farm, located in Fairport, indicates that the Rochester branch of the Humane Society takes in over 15,000 unwanted animals a year, many of whom are adoptable. For more information, visit http://www.lollypop.org

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