The Biden family announced their German Shepherd, Champ, died peacefully at their home on Saturday. He was 13.
“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,” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement.
“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,” the Bidens continued. “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.”
The Bidens got Champ, one of two German Shepherds, after Joe Biden and Barack Obama won the White House in 2008. Champ is survived by his brother, Major, who was rescued by the Bidens in 2018. The younger Shepherd, who is 3, has been involved in a pair of biting incidents with White House staffers. He is the first shelter dog to ever live in the White House.
On Champ, the Bidens concluded: “We love our sweet, good boy and will miss him always.”
