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Joe Biden’s Dog Will Be the First Shelter Dog To Live in the White House

By Emma Taggart on November 9, 2020

Over the weekend, we heard the news that Joe Biden was elected the next President of the United States. He chose California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, making her the first female, first Black, and first Asian American U.S. Vice President-elect. Biden’s wife and soon-to-be first lady, Jill Biden, will also make history as she will be the first to keep her day job after moving into the White House. But President-elect Joe Biden is bringing yet another first to the team: the first ever shelter dog to live in the White House.

There’s been a long-running tradition of dogs living in the White House—Donald Trump was the first President without one since William McKinley, who served from 1897. Biden plans to restore the tradition by bringing his two German Shepherds, Major and Chance, with him when he takes office in January 2021.

Chance, who is Biden’s oldest dog, was bought from a breeder. However, the Bidens adopted their other dog, Major, from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018. Major was first brought to the shelter as a puppy along with his five siblings. The litter was exposed to toxins; but, luckily, all six pups were given emergency medical care and survived. Ashley Biden, Biden’s daughter, sent her dad a Facebook post from the shelter, asking for homes for the puppies. Biden immediately volunteered to foster Major, and later ended up adopting him.

Major will be the first shelter dog to live in the White House, but, technically, he’s not the only rescue dog. On Thanksgiving Day 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson adopted a stray named Yuki after his daughter found him at a Texas gas station. Nevertheless, we're sure the White House is excited to welcome Major and Chance to the team.