Joe and Jill Biden pay tribute as dog Champ dies aged 13: ‘We love our sweet, good boy’

Joe and Jill Biden have paid tribute to their family dog Champ after he died aged 13.

The US President tweeted on Saturday that the German Shepherd, the Biden family’s oldest dog, had died, “peacefully at home”.

In a joint statement with the First Lady, he wrote: “He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family. Even as Champ’s strength waned in his last months, when we came into a room, he would immediately pull himself up, his tail always wagging, and nuzzle us for an ear scratch or a belly rub.

“In our most joyful moments and in our most grief-stricken days, he was there with us, sensitive to our every unspoken feeling and emotion. We love our sweet, good boy and will miss him always.”

The family has had Champ since 2008. The Bidens have another German Shepard, Major, who is the White House’s first ever rescue dog and has twice been involved in a biting incident.

The Bidens adopted Major as a puppy from Delaware Humane Association in 2018. Before moving there in January, Champ had already spent some time in the White House as a younger dog, when Mr Biden was vice-president.