US President Joe Biden (78) and First Lady Jill Biden (70) mourn one of their two dogs.
"It is with a heavy heart that we inform you today that our beloved German Shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home," said Biden in a message distributed by the White House on Saturday.
"He has been our constant valued companion for the past 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family."
Champ accompanied the family through ups and downs.
“In our happiest moments and on our most sorrowful days, he was with us.” Champ will be “always missed”.
The presidential family has another German Shepherd named Major.
Major bit the security guard
Major caused a stir in March when he bit a member of Biden's security team, according to a CNN report.
The White House had spoken of a "minor injury".
Major and Champ had then spent a few days at the Biden home in Delaware.
According to a spokesman for the First Lady, Major received "additional training". President Biden said in an interview that Major was a “cute dog” who was only scared when two people he did not know suddenly appeared around a corner. He stressed that he had by no means banned "Major" from the White House.
Regarding the now deceased sheepdog Champ, the Bidens said: “Even when Champ's strength waned in his last months, he would straighten up as soon as we entered a room, always wagging his tail and snuggling up to us, scratching his ears or to have the belly stroked. He wanted to be wherever we were, and everything was immediately better when he was with us. ”For example, Champ loved curling up in front of the fireplace or sunbathing in the garden of the White House. With the Bidens, dogs moved into the White House again in January after four animalless years under Donald Trump.