The inauguration of President Joe Biden is expected to bring a return to the Paris climate agreement, immigration reform, economic relief and more. On a less policy and more “pawlicy”-focused note, Biden’s swearing-in to the highest office in the land also marks a return of dogs to the White House.
The president and first lady Jill Biden have two German shepherds, Champ and Major. While Champ joined the family by way of a Pennsylvania breeder in 2008, the Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018.
President Donald Trump famously bucked the tradition of White House pets. He was the first POTUS in about 150 years to have no pets at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Major’s arrival will make him the first shelter dog at the White House. He is not, however, the first rescue dog. That distinction goes to Yuki, a terrier mix that Lyndon B. Johnson’s daughter found abandoned at a Texas gas station in 1966.
To celebrate the first dogs, Dial Books for Young Readers released “Champ and Major: First Dogs” on Tuesday. The Delaware Humane Association also threw a virtual “indoguration” to raise awareness and funds for rescue pets ahead of Biden’s inauguration.
In honor of this historic day and the return of pets to the White House, we’ve rounded up 18 photos and videos of Champ and Major.
