WASHINGTON, June 19, 2021 — President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden announced Saturday that Champ, their 13-year-old German shepherd and a fixture of their family life for more than a decade, has died.
The couple said in a joint statement that Champ passed away peacefully at home. They described him as a constant and cherished companion who was adored by the entire Biden family. The president also wrote on Twitter that the family had lost their loving companion and that he would miss him. Dr. Biden posted her own farewell to “our sweet, good boy.”
The announcement came on a Saturday morning, and news outlets and social media quickly filled with condolences for the first family.
“Our Hearts Are Heavy”
The statement opened by saying the Bidens’ hearts were heavy as they shared the news. The couple reflected on the years Champ spent with them and the ordinary joys he brought. By their account, he loved chasing golf balls and running after the Bidens’ grandchildren.
Dr. Biden also described the dog’s final months. Even as his strength faded, she said, Champ would pull himself up whenever the family entered a room, tail wagging, to ask for an ear scratch or a belly rub. The statement said he spent his days in the White House curled up at the family’s feet in front of a fire, joining them as a comforting presence in meetings, and sunning himself in the garden.
The Bidens were at their home in Delaware when Champ died.
A Dog That Arrived With the Vice Presidency
Champ joined the family in 2008, shortly after Biden was elected vice president alongside Barack Obama. Reports from the time say the Bidens bought him as a puppy from a breeder. That drew some criticism from advocates of adopting from shelters and rescues.
According to Jill Biden, the puppy was a promise kept. She had told her husband he could have a dog if he and Obama won the election.
The Biden grandchildren helped choose the name. It echoed a phrase Joe Biden has long associated with his father, who would urge him to get up when life knocked him down. Champ became a regular presence at the Naval Observatory, the vice president’s residence in Washington, throughout Biden’s eight years in the role. Photographs from those years show him resting during events at the residence, including a 2012 service event for military families.
Biden once joked that Champ thought he was a member of the Secret Service. That was a nod to the security detail that surrounded the family during those years.
From the Naval Observatory to the White House
When Biden took office in January 2021, Champ moved to the White House with the family, along with their younger German shepherd, Major. The two dogs arrived days after the inauguration. Their arrival ended a four-year stretch without a canine resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The two dogs were very different. Champ was the stoic elder of the pair, a calm dog who preferred a warm spot near the family to the open space of the South Lawn. Major, adopted from a shelter in 2018 when he was about three years old, was livelier. In a holiday video last Christmas, Dr. Biden showed the contrast: a subdued Champ beside an energetic, playful Major.
The two were photographed together often. Champ also turned up in images from the Oval Office earlier this year.
The Family Still Has Major
The Bidens still have Major. He had a harder time adjusting to White House life, and there were two incidents on the grounds earlier this year. The president explained them as a protective instinct in a dog meeting strangers around corners. Jill Biden defended him as a sweet, lovable dog. Her press secretary has said Major received additional training in Delaware to help him settle into his new surroundings.
For now, the family’s remaining dog will carry on without his older companion. The Bidens have also announced plans to bring a cat into the household.
A Loss Felt Beyond the Family
The death comes only weeks after the Obamas announced the passing of Bo, the Portuguese water dog who lived at the White House during their time there. Together the two losses have drawn attention to the place pets hold in presidential families, and to the difficulty of grieving a pet in public.
Condolences from the public appeared quickly on social media. Many people shared their own stories of losing a pet, and some posted photographs of Champ as a puppy.
Why a Pet’s Death Can Weigh So Heavily
Veterinarians and counselors have long noted that losing a pet can be a real bereavement. For many families a dog is part of the daily routine: the greeting at the door, the presence in the next room, the companion during hard days. When that presence is gone, the house can feel different.
For the Bidens, Champ was part of a long stretch of family history. He arrived the year Biden became vice president. He stayed through eight years at the Naval Observatory and a presidential campaign, and he lived to see his family move into the White House. Many of the family’s public moments over more than a decade included him in the background.
What Comes Next
The White House has not announced any public memorial or tribute beyond the statement and social media posts. The family is expected to continue with its schedule. The president and first lady are likely to spend time in private as they mourn.
Further updates will be provided as they become available.
