New York: On January 20, presidential pooches Champ and Major Biden will mark the return of First Pets to the White House after four years of outgoing President Donald Trumps pet-free reign. A cat is also said to be in the running to join the furry sidekicks.
"He thinks he's Secret Service, and he is," President-elect Joe Biden likes to say about Champ, a Washington insider by now.
The Bidens got Champ from a Pennsylvania breeder in late 2008, post-election.
The new pup was named Champ on Christmas Day, after the word Biden's father used to help his son recover from hard knocks while growing up.
Read:|Biden's German Shepherd Major honoured at 'indoguration'
Major joined the Biden family in 2018, 10 years after Champ. He was rescued with the help of the Delaware Humane Association (DHA) and will be the first shelter dog to be called "First Dog".
Major got an early shot at the spotlight when his playdate with Biden ended with his master suffering a hairline fracture on his right foot.
Champ's a veteran at headline hunting. When Biden was Vice President, he used to hand out Champ soft toys to kids he met as part of his official tours.
Before Biden, Barack Obama was the most recent president to have pets on campus.
Obama rewarded his children with two Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny, after his inauguration. Bo was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.