Pennsylvania Boy Offers Puppy to Obama Family

During their trip to witness the historic inauguration of Barack Obama, two Fayette County, Pennsylvania commissioners will deliver a letter that could potentially change the life of the new president and the first family.

The inauguration of Obama as the 44th president will take place today, and commissioners Vincent A. Vicites and Vincent Zapotosky left Monday to head to Washington, D.C.

In their possession will be a letter from Zachary William Shiley to Malia Obama, the oldest daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama. Shiley, a fourth-grade student at Wharton Elementary School in Farmington, is offering a 6-week-old female labradoodle puppy to the first family.

The puppy, born Nov. 26, was the only offspring that survived the litter of 11-year-old Hillary, a chocolate Labrador and 1-year-old Bullet, a black labradoodle.

Zachary Shiley said the family has been calling the dog Vegas because his mother was in Las Vegas, Nev., when Hillary became pregnant. It also was her idea to offer it to the Obamas, he said. Shiley describes the puppy as a little shy but "very smart and friendly." Shiley added that Vegas is full of energy as well as a blessing.

"We want her to have a good home, and what could be better than the White House... A dream come true," Shiley wrote in his letter to Malia Obama. "I almost forgot, the puppy is free," Shiley wrote. Included with the letter are two photographs of the puppy with an American flag and Shiley with the puppy. Vicites said while he knows it is a long shot that the Obamas would end up with the Fayette County puppy, the puppy has to come from somewhere.

[Source: HeraldStandard.com]