CNN

Bo, a six-month old Portuguese water dog, was given to the first family by Sen. Ted Kennedy.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - CNN has confirmed that President Obama and the first lady will make a donation to the Washington D.C. Humane Society.

The first family originally planned to get their new dog from an animal shelter but ultimately settled on a puppy given to them by Sen. Ted Kennedy, one of the president's close political allies.

The donation was first reported by the Washington Post which described the plan to give the money as "intended [by the Obamas] to lend a serious symbolic note" to their original pledge to get a shelter animal.

In a statement released Sunday, the Humane Society of the United States urged action from the new administration to protect animals across the country.

“President Obama can do even more for animal protection through the policies of federal agencies that deal with the welfare of millions of pets,” the statement said, by “helping us enforce existing animal welfare laws and cracking down on the national shame of rampant puppy mills in America.”