Champ, their “loving” German Shepherd who had been with the Bidens since 2008, died on Saturday, the Bidens revealed.
Champ died at the Biden family residence in Wilmington, Delaware, according to a White House spokesman.
“Our hearts are heavy today as we inform you that Champ, our beloved German Shepherd, died peacefully at home,” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. “Over the last 13 years, he was our constant, treasured companion and was adored by the entire Biden family.”
“He loved nothing more than cuddling up at our feet in front of a fire at the end of the day, joining us as a soothing presence in meetings, or sunning himself in the White House garden,” the Bidens said. He was most happy chasing golf balls on the front lawn of the Naval Observatory or trying to catch our grandchildren as they ran about our Delaware backyard.”
Champ became a member of the Biden family during the presidential transition in December 2008, only weeks after Biden was named Vice President-elect. Champ has been with the family at their “most joyful times” as well as their “most grief-stricken days,” the Bidens announced on Saturday.
Champ’s health had deteriorated in recent months, owing in large part to his elderly age.
Biden chose the German Shepherd from a litter at a breeder in Spring City, Pennsylvania, when he was a month old. Champ’s acquisition fulfilled Jill Biden’s promise that her husband could purchase a puppy if he and Barack Obama won the presidential election.
According to Biden’s press secretary at the time, during the holidays in 2008, the Biden grandchildren assisted in naming the new puppy Champ, an homage to the nickname Joe Biden’s father nicknamed his son.
Biden has had German Shepherds since he was a child, as he stated in an interview immediately after adopting Champ, “I’ve had German Shepherds since I was a kid.”
The Bidens also have another German Shepherd named Major, a 3-year-old pup they adopted from the Delaware Humane Association in November 2018. Biden told reporters earlier this year that he had adopted Major in part to keep Champ entertained and active.
Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign ads featured the two dogs. Less than a week after taking office, Biden reinstated the presidential custom of bringing dogs to the White House by relocating Champ and Major.
“Our hearts are heavy today as we let you all know that our beloved German Shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home. He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family.
Even as Champ’s strength waned in his last months, when we came into a room, he would immediately pull himself up, his tail always wagging, and nuzzle us for an ear scratch or a belly rub.
Wherever we were, he wanted to be, and everything was instantly better when he was next to us. He loved nothing more than curling up at our feet in front of a fire at the end of the day, joining us as a comforting presence in meetings, or sunning himself in the White House garden.
In his younger days, he was happiest chasing golf balls on the front lawn of the Naval Observatory or racing to catch our grandchildren as they ran around our backyard in Delaware.
In our most joyful moments and in our most grief-stricken days, he was there with us, sensitive to our every unspoken feeling and emotion. We love our sweet, good boy and will miss him always.”
