The White House Now has a Rescue Dog!

EDITORIAL BY: ALICIA ROSE WILLIAMS Founder, Eunoia Rescue

Whatever your political leanings are, we all love dogs or you wouldn’t be reading this magazine. Well, with the new administration moving into the White House, we have 2 new first dogs!

Y’all remember politics? Who cares?! Although we are mentioning political figures, we are not expressing which side is “better.” We are keeping this about the D-OG-S. There has been a fouryear drought of dogs in the White House and boy am I excited that we have some canine friends back in our Nation’s capital.

The Biden’s have a history with their four legged friends. Champ, the first family’s elder dog was adopted as a puppy in 2008 during Biden’s Vice President run with former President Obama. His name is derived from an old saying by Joe Biden’s father who would say: “any time you get knocked down, champ – get up!” Champ is currently enjoying a dog bed in the White House; an upgrade from his typical humble abode in Delaware.

Major and Champ with First Lady, Jill Biden

The Biden’s other dog on the other hand represents a huge milestone. His name is Major. “The first rescue dog has officially arrived” according to new First Lady Dr. Jill Biden via Melania Trump’s former Twitter handle FLOTUS. You read that correctly. The FIRST rescue dog in the White House. I love all dogs of course, but there’s something refreshing about knowing a dog is being given a second chance by such a powerful figure. I was a bit over of the Labradoodle, Spaniel, Retriever, Collie, Setter trend. Major is your classic example of a good ol’ American comeback story – and I’m here for it.

Major on his adoption day with President Biden, whom fostered Major from a puppy from the Delaware Humane Association.

According to NPR, Major was dumped with his other German Shepherd siblings at the Delaware Humane Association. They arrived in critical condition and it’s expected that they were exposed to a toxic chemical. All of the puppies were lethargic and vomiting. After a few days of hospitalization – thankfully, the pups bounced back.

In typical rescue shelter fashion, once all the dogs were healthy, a post on Facebook announced that they needed foster homes. Allegedly, Joe Biden’s daughter (Ashley) sent the post to her father knowing that he was on the lookout for another furry family member. The director of the Delaware Humane Association state that President Biden stopped by on Easter Sunday out of all days to check out the precious puppies. He left with Major as a “foster,” but eventually failed as a foster and officially adopted Major on November 17, 2018.

My hope is that other people will follow President Biden’s footsteps when it comes to giving rescue dogs a chance. We may not all agree about who won the election – but I’m hoping we can unite and understand that having a rescue dog in the White House is really something special. We love you Champ and Major! ■