On Saturday President Biden announced in a Tweet that their beloved rescue German Shepard Champ passed away peacefully.
Champ was adopted by the Biden family in 2008, after former President Barrack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden won the presidential election. It was Jill Biden who suggested that the family get a dog if they won the election. Such a promise meant more than just a new family member, it was also a commitment to keeping the family together during the stressful times of working in the White House. And Champ did just that!
Champ was 13 years old when he passed, but he will always remain an important part of the White House and to the Biden family. Indeed, in the official statement by the President and First Lady, they express how important Champ was to them; “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.” Furthermore, Champ was the nickname Joe Biden’s father gave Joe, thus passing it on to his dog was an homage to his father.
Michelle Obama who was good friends with Champ when she was First Lady, posted a heartfelt Tweet about Champ’s passing and sent her and her husbands condolences to the Bidens.
The Bidens expressed Champ’s continued affection towards them no matter how weak he was getting; “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.”
Now, only one dog roams the halls of the White House and that is three-year-old German Shepard rescue Major. Major was adapted as Champ was getting old in an attempt to keep him active and to evade loneliness. Perhaps the Biden family will adopt another presidential dog soon to give Major another companion. However, there hasn’t been any mention from the family about that yet.
In all, Champ will be missed, especially because, as the official statement says, “wherever we were, he wanted to be and everything was instantly better when he was next to us.”
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[Featured image: @schultzinit / Instagram]