The White House has been animal-free in the past four years, but on January, a new set of paws will step foot and make history.
United States president-elect Joe Biden and his wife will Jill will soon take up residence in the White House along with their two German Shepherds named Champ and Major.
Bringing four-legged furries is not new in the White House, perhaps it has even become a tradition among the presidents to bring their loyal animal companions with them. But what makes Biden’s dog, Major, different from any of them is because he is not just one of the first dogs in the residence, but also the first rescue dog to live there.
Biden first had Champ in 2008 when he became the vice president to Barrack Obama, who himself had two Portuguese Water Dogs named Bo and Sunny. It was after Obama’s term that Biden took in Major, thanks to his daughter’ initiative to adopt him from the local shelter.
It was in 2018 when Biden’s daughter Ashley found a liter of puppies from Delaware Humane Association animal shelter looking for fur-ever homes. Biden contacted the shelter and brought home Major to be fostered, but the family grew to love him, so they adopted him as well.
There is a long history of animal companions in the White House, in fact, there is an exhibit of photos of the presidents and their doggos in the East Wing.
The Clinton family had Buddy, a chocolate Labrador. Bush was accompanied by three dogs, Scottish Terriers Miss Beazley and Barney, and an English Springer Spaniel called Spot. Franklin D. Roosevelt had a famous Scottish Terrier called Fala, who had cartoons and even a film made about him.
