The president of the United States, Joe Biden, and his family today mourned the loss of one of their pets, the German Shepherd Champ (short for champion in English), who died at the age of 13.
“Our family lost our dear partner Champ today. I will miss him, “Biden wrote on his Twitter, with a photo of his pet.
The president had gifted the pastor to first lady Jill Biden after the 2008 elections, which he won in the formula along with Barack Obama.
In a statement, the Bidens said their pet had died “peacefully at home.”
“He was our constant and beloved companion for the past 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family,” added the president and his wife.
The family has another German Shepherd named Major, a rescue dog they adopted in 2018.
Champ and Major quickly became stars after the November election victory for Biden, who had promised to bring his pets to the White House.
The dogs were moved to official residence in Washington DC shortly after taking over in January but one of them, Major, bit the hand of a guard, so the two were sent home to Delaware for a time.
Champ lived as long as a typical German Shepherd, because the breed’s life expectancy is 12 to 14 years, according to the American Kennel Club.
The Bidens landed Champ as a puppy in 2008, shortly before moving into the vice president’s official residence at the Naval Observatory.
The current president said that he was inspired for his name by a phrase from his father, who told him: “Anytime they knock you down, champion, get up!” (Télam)
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