Major Biden, Dog Son Of President Elect Joe Biden, Had An INDOGURATION In His Honour

We're quite in love with the Biden family dogs, Champ and Major.

Major Champ Biden dogs

by Rhiannon Evans |
Updated on

There's a lot of history happening at the Presidential inauguration this week - even down to the pets. The Biden family will bring their two German shepherds, Champ and Major to The White House to become first dogs. And Major will be the first shelter dog ever to have lived in the White House.

It's such a big moment, that earlier this week, charities held an INDOGURATION ceremony for Major. INDOGURATION - see, 2021 isn't all bad...

The event, held by The Delaware Human Association was hosted by actual Josh Groban and raised more than $100,000 and had more than 10,000 people attend.

The dogs will be a welcome return to The White House after President Trump became the first President in more than a century not to bring a dog to Washington.

The Biden family adopted Major in 2018 from the Delaware Human Association. They already had another German shepherd, Champ - who has already lived in the White House, when President-elect Biden was the Vice President alongside President Barack Obama.

The Indoguration involved photos of Major from when he was at the charity in 2018 and video of him and President Elect Biden.

Oh and there were also 'dog secretaries' involved, who were dogs from its shelter, who had been selected by fans.

Josh Groban performed the classic, (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? at the virtual event. The proceeds went to the Delaware Humane Association and Pumpkin Pet Insurance.

Speaking at the event, Groban said: 'It is a great privilege to be here on this first Indoguration. Congratulations to Major Biden, the first dog-elect who will soon be entering the White House. Many animals have been in the White House but Major Biden will be the first rescue dog in the White House, which is why we're here. It's an incredible thing.'

Champ, their older German shepherd, hopefully wasn't too upset by his dog brother getting all the attention. The dog is well known to The White House and Washington - the Biden family brought him to live with them in 2008 while Mr Biden was Vice President.

He even hung around with First Lady, Michelle Obama, for instance at this 2012 event with his owner Dr Jill Biden, to send the mothers of US Troops a Mother's Day package.

Michelle Obama, Dr Jill Biden, Champ the dog.
©Getty

Major may be the first presidential pet officially adopted from an animal shelter, but as CNN notes, he's not the first rescue pet in the White House. President Lyndon B. Johnson's family and President Bill Clinton's family were among the presidential families who had rescue pets. Johnson's daughter, Luci, found their mixed-breed dog, Yuki, abandoned at a gas station.

Trump was the first president in more than a century who did not own a dog - the last one not to have a dog was President William McKinley.

Other recent presidential pets include Barack Obama's dogs Bo and Sun, George W. Bush's three dogs, Barney, Spot and Miss Beazley; and Bill Clinton's dog Buddy and cat Socks for those pet fans out there.

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