Former President Clinton's frisky retriever Buddy, who unhappily shared the White House with Socks the cat, was killed by a car outside the Clinton's New York home.
The 4-year-old chocolate Labrador ran from the home in Chappaqua on Wednesday afternoon, "playfully chasing a contractor who had just left the residence," said Lt. Charles Ferry of the New Castle police.
Buddy was hit by a car on a busy two-lane road at the bottom of the Clintons' cul-de-sac and was pronounced dead at an animal hospital. Ferry said the death was "strictly an accident."
Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, were not home at the time, said spokeswoman Julia Payne. They issued a statement saying Buddy "was a loyal companion and brought us much joy. He will truly be missed."
The Clintons were given Buddy as a puppy in 1997, just weeks before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke. The dog was named after the president's great-uncle, who had died earlier that year
