The Bidens' dog is having an 'indoguration' to celebrate his role as the first shelter pup in the White House

Monica Humphries
Updated ·3 min read
major biden dog shelter
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

  • President-elect Joe Biden's dog, Major, is making history as the first shelter dog in the White House.

  • To celebrate, the shelter where Major was adopted is hosting a virtual "indoguration" three days before Joe Biden's official inauguration.

  • You can join the Delaware Humane Association's virtual ceremony on Sunday here.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The White House will once again have wagging tails and furry pups at its residence when President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Wednesday.

Before the official inauguration, Joe Biden's German shepherd, Major, will have his own celebration, coined an "indoguration."

Major is making presidential history as the first shelter dog in the White House.

To commemorate, Delaware Humane Association, where Major was adopted from, and the Pumpkin Pet Insurance are hosting a virtual ceremony on Sunday.

The virtual event will take place Sunday afternoon

The Zoom event will feature NBC "Today" show's Jill Martin and other "notable rescue dogs and their parents," Cory Topel, the shelter's marketing manager, told Insider in an email. Topel did not say whether Joe Biden and Major will be in participating in the event, however.

Virtual attendees can expect 30 to 45 minutes of furry friends and animal philanthropists speaking. The goal is to raise money for shelter dogs just like Major.

To join, virtual attendees can donate $10 or more to get a link to the ceremony, which starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Proceeds will go to the animal shelter.

Over 5,000 people from all over the world have already registered for the event, Topel said.

"We are elated," Topel told Insider in an email. "With Major heading to the White House, we hope it will shine light on the importance of animal adoption, as well as supporting your own local animal shelter."

Major was welcomed into the Biden household in 2018

DHA Staff Group Photo

In 2018, Joe Biden's daughter, Ashley Biden, saw a social media post from the Delaware Humane Society about a litter of German shepherds that needed temporary housing, according to The Washington Post.

The six puppies were in need of care "after being exposed to something toxic" in their previous home.

The Bidens temporarily fostered one puppy, and eight months later, Major became a permanent member of the household.

The family's other German shepherd, Champ, will join Major in the White House.

The White House has a long history of pets

lyndon b johnson dog yuki

Dogs are the most common pet to find a home at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

But for the last four years, the house has sat pet-less, as President Donald Trump is the first president in more than 100 years to not have pets.

When Biden won the election, Major made headlines as the first presidential shelter dog. But there have been other notable rescue dogs owned by presidents. Former President Abraham Lincoln and former President Lyndon B. Johnson both had rescue pups.

Johnson's dog, Yuki, a terrier mix, had a close bond with the former president, so much so that Johnson would bring the dog to cabinet meetings, according to the Presidential Pet Museum.

Lincoln has a rescue dog named Frido, but the animal never lived in the White House.

Other presidents welcomed more exotic animals into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

At one point while living in the White House, former President John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in a bathtub, and former President Martin van Buren fought to keep his two tiger cubs at the residence.

Alligators and tigers won't be joining the Bidens, but dog lovers will be happy to see two furry friends finding their home at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Read the original article on Insider