The Bidens declared Saturday that Champ, their”beloved” German Shepherd who had been with their family since 2008, has expired.

Champ passed away at the Biden family House in Wilmington, Delaware, a White House official told CNN.
“Our hearts are heavy now as we allow you know that our beloved German Shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home,” President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden said in an announcement. “He was our continuous, cherished companion throughout the previous 13 years and was loved by the total Biden family”

The Bidens continued:”He loved nothing more than curling up in our feet in front of a fire at the end of the day, linking us as a reassuring presence in meetings, or sunning himself at the White House garden. In his younger days, he had been happiest chasing golf balls around the front lawn of the Naval Observatory or rushing to grab our grandchildren as they ran around our backyard in Delaware.”

Champ had joined the Biden family throughout the presidential transition in December 2008, weeks after Biden had become vice president-elect. Champ, the Bidens stated Saturday, had been with the family throughout their”happiest moments” and”many grief-stricken days.”

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The German Shepherd was a month older when Biden chose him out of a litter from a breeder at Spring City, Pennsylvania. The getting of Champ was a promise kept by Jill Biden, who said her husband might get a dog if he and Barack Obama won the presidential elections.

During the holidays in 2008, the Biden toddlers helped to name the new pup 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 lengthy relationship with the breed, stating in an interview soon after becoming Champ,”I have had German Shepherds since I was a child.”