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Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House

BusinessToday.In
BusinessToday.In
  • Updated Nov 12, 2020, 11:15 AM IST
Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Democratic Joe Biden is all set to bring his two German friends-Champ and Major with him to the Oval Office bringing back the time-honoured tradition of having presidential pets at the White House. President Donald Trump is said to be the only president in more than 100 years who didn't have any pet during his tenure.
The first president to have a dog in the White House was George Washington, and the last was Barack Obama with two of his canine friends, Bo and Sunny.
Here's a look at presidents along with the First Pets who accompanied their humans to the White House:

Story: Anshika Awasthi

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Biden's Champ and Mayor

Biden met his canine friend Champ at a breeder's when he was elected Vice-President in 2008. During the 2003 election campaign, Biden recalled how his father would often tell him, "Any time you get knocked down, champ, get up!" and this made him name his dog 'Champ'.
His other furry friend, Major, was fostered and then adopted in 2018 from the Delaware Humane Association.

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Obama's Bo and Sunny

Bo and Sunny (Portuguese water dogs) were residents of the White House during Barack Obama's presidency.
Bo, the one with white chest and front paws, was a gift to the Obama children in 2009 from Senator Ted Kennedy while Sunny came along in August 2013.

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Clinton's Buddy and Socks

A Labrador called Buddy and a cat named Socks lived in the White House under Clinton's presidency. Clinton once recalled that Buddy and he would sleep next to each other when his wife was away.
The New York Times once jokingly called the pair nemeses as they wouldn't often get along well and fight often.
Hillary Clinton wrote a book called Dear Socks, Dear Buddy that talks about the life of both the pets.

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Bush's Miss Beazley and Barney

George W Bush had two much-loved Scottish Terriers named Miss Beazley and Barney while he was president. Bush would describe Miss Beazley as "a source of joy". Barney joined the Bush family after the Presidential election in 2000 as a birthday gift from President Bush to Laura Bush in 2004. Both the dogs joined the Oval Office on January 6, 2005.
The dogs were also featured in videos released by the White House.

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Johnson's Yuki

President Lyndon B Johnson had a Terrier mix companion dog named Yuki. The Presidential Pet Museum website records that Johnson's daughter found Yuki at a petrol station on Thanksgiving Day in the year 1966. She, then, gave the dog to Johnson as a birthday gift. The duo would attend cabinet meetings together and would also go for swimming.

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Roosevelt's Fala

Franklin D Roosevelt's Scottish Terrier Fala is one of the most famous known White House dogs. This canine companion was given to Roosevelt in 1940 by his cousin. He named the dog Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, after a Scottish ancestor.
As per Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, there used to be a bone on the president's breakfast tray every morning for Fala. Not just this, he also had a secretary appointed to answer his fan mail.
Fala also happened to actively participate in campaigns. In 1942, Fala donated toys to promote scrap rubber collections for the war effort.
You can also find the statue of Fala next to the one of Roosevelt at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington DC.

Biden's Major and Champ, Obama's Bo and Sunny: Meet pets of White House
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Kennedy's Macaroni

Macaroni was a gift to John F Kennedy's daughter Caroline from Lyndon B Johnson. Like other pets in the White House, Macaroni also became famous and even appeared on the cover page of Life magazine.
It wasn't just dogs and cats that enjoyed the privilege of being a president's pet and lived in the White House. There were birds, hamsters and ponies. In fact, President Theodore Roosevelt owned dozens of animals including guinea pigs, one-legged rooster, snakes, kangaroo rats and horses, as per Jennifer B. Pickens, the author of "Pets at the White House".