'First dogs' Champ and Major move into White House

Washington, Jan 26 The 'first dogs' have entered the White House.

US President Joe Biden's two German shepherds, named Champ and Major, officially joined the first family in their new residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Sunday.

"The first family wanted to get settled before bringing the dogs down to Washington from Delaware. Champ is enjoying his new bed by the fireplace, and Major is loving running around on the South Lawn," First Lady Jill Biden's press secretary Michael LaRosa said in a statement on Monday, according to a US media report.

Biden's dogs moving into White House marks the return of a longstanding tradition of Presidents and their families bringing their pets with them to the White House. Former President Donald Trump and his family did not have any pets for the four years they lived in the White House.

Champ has been with the Biden family for more than 10 years since December 2008, weeks after Biden became Barack Obama's Vice President-elect. Major, a shelter dog, joined the Biden family more recently. He was adopted in November 2018, months before Biden announced that he would run for the President's post.

Major became the first shelter dog to live in the White House. Earlier this month, the Delaware Humane Association, from where he was adopted, and the Pumpkin Pet Insurance hosted a virtual celebration - an "Indoguration Party" - for Major.

Jill Biden has also said that she would "love to get a cat", telling Fox 5 in Washington, "I love having animals around the house."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said that she did not have any update about a cat.

The tradition of keeping pets in the White House dates back to third US President Thomas Jefferson, who kept a mockingbird and a couple of bear cubs during his presidency. Over the years, presidential pets have become celebrities of sorts.

( With inputs from IANS )