First Dog Champ Biden Has Died At 13

If you’ve got a dog friend in your life, there’s always a good reason to shower them with loves and pets, but there’s a really good reason to do that today, and as you do that, I’m sure they’ll look at you like, “This is sweet and everything but you should use those hands to get me another treat. It’s been 15 seconds since the last one. I’m starving!” Because sadly, the White House is a lot less adorable and sweet today. President Joe Biden and First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden’s, beloved dog, Champ Biden, has died at the age of 13.

The Bidens delivered the sadness in a statement, saying that Champ died peacefully at home today. The statement goes on to say that up until the end, Champ was the best and was a bright shining light in their lives:

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.

This sad news made some people raise their magnifying glasses while wondering if this was foul play since it’s highly suspicious that Champ died not that long after he was banished from the White House after a little biting incident. But that wasn’t Champ. That was his little dog brother, 3-year-old Major Biden. Champ Biden was the former HSOTD who joined the Biden family in 2008.

Before the 2008 presidential election, Joe promised Jill that they could get a dog if Barack Obama won the whole thing. After Obama became POTUS and Joe became VP, he followed through on his promise and they got Champ as a one-month-old puppy from a breeder in Spring City, Pennsylvania. Joe gave their puppy the name Champ because that’s what his dad used to call him. via CNN:

During the holidays in 2008, the Biden grandchildren helped to name the new puppy Champ, an homage to the nickname Joe Biden’s father called his son, according to Biden’s press secretary at the time.

Biden has had a long relationship with the breed, saying in an interview shortly after getting Champ, “I’ve had German Shepherds since I was a kid.”

And here’s your daily dose Vitamin AWWWWWWW in the form of Champ Biden as a puppeh:

This photo of Champ as a puppy gets me every time. pic.twitter.com/EuxtWjfyPi

— Rob Flaherty (@RFlaherty46) June 19, 2021

In 2018, the Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association as a pal and confidant to Champ (Side note: You should always find ways to work in the Golden Girls theme song). And now Champ is in heaven, where I’m sure he was greeted by Bo Obama before they ran off to chase golf balls as Socks Clinton threw annoyed glares from afar.

Rest in peace, sweet Champ Biden.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMNj09vJDVK/

Pic: Reuters