Joe Biden's Pets

By Beatrix Worthington

This past year, politics has taken over the news. Every day would bring new political drama, which was oftentimes frustrating, stressful or saddening. However, there is still good news, and we can all be excited to welcome President Biden’s incredible pets to the white house along with him and First Lady Jill Biden. 

Former President Trump was the first president in over a century to not have a pet during his time in the White House. Trump’s reasoning was that getting a dog was “phony,” and that he didn’t “have any time.” However, President Joe Biden will be bringing pets with him to the White House. Biden has two dogs, named Major and Champ. Champ is 12 years old, and the Bidens adopted him in 2008, after Jill Biden had promised Joe a dog if he and Obama won the 2008 Presidential Election. However, there were some unhappy reactions when they got their first dog, because they had adopted Champ from a breeder. Breeding is often looked at as a bad thing, because when dogs are commercially bred, there is risk of overpopulation. There are also countless numbers of non-bred dogs in the world, and it is better to adopt one of them, than have another commercially bred dog born. Unlike the first time they adopted a dog, the press on the Bidens second dog has been overwhelmingly positive. Major Biden was a foster dog, who Joe and Jill decided to adopt permanently, making Major the first foster dog to live in the White House. Major is 2 years old, and was adopted in 2018, from the Delaware Humane Association (DHA). On January 17, a virtual “InDOGuration” was held by the DHA, where Major Biden was “sworn in” to be the one of Biden’s First Dogs. Other than Major and Champ, First Lady Jill Biden said in an interview with CBS that  she would “love to get a cat,” and she “loves having animals around the house.” With everything that is happening in the press, it can be hard to find things to make us happy. But seeing Major and Champ (and possibly a cat?) in the White House is something that can make us all smile.