WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s two German shepherds, Major and Champ, have officially moved into the White House.
The first lady tweeted the news of the first dogs’ arrival Monday morning and the duo quickly made themselves right at home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Major and Champ could be heard barking as Biden signed orders in the Oval Office Monday.
This marks a return to the tradition of the first family bringing their furry friends to the White House.
Former President Donald Trump was the first president since Andrew Johnson in the 1860s not to share the presidential digs with a dog or a cat — or even a raccoon, like the one kept by Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s.
The Biden’s got Champ back in 2008. They adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association two years ago.
Earlier this month, the rescue shelter held an online “indoguration” fundraiser to celebrate Major’s big move into the White House.
“From shelter pup at the Delaware Humane Association to First Dog at the White House, Major Biden is barking proof that every dog can live the American dream,” said the group.
But Major is not the first rescue dog to live in the White House. Jennifer Pickens, author of “Pets at the White House,” told NewsNation that Lyndon B. Johnson also had a rescue dog, named Yuki.
Johnson’s daughter found the dog at a gas station in Austin, Texas, When they weren’t able to track down its owner, his daughter kept the dog, and gave it to Johnson.
While the White House gained two dogs, the first lady has hinted that perhaps a cat will join the family in the future.
The Naval Observatory, which is the home of the vice president, said goodbye to four pets.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and his family had a cat named Hazel, a dog named Harley, a snake named Sapphira, and a bunny named Marlon Bundo. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband don’t own pets.