Major Biden will be the first shelter dog to live in the White House. His shelter, the Delaware Humane Association, is having a Zoom party on Sunday to celebrate. You and your dog are invited, for a contribution of $10.
‘Zoom’ in with your pup to:
Major Biden’s Indoguration Party
Hosted by the Today Show’s Jill Martin with special guest Sir Darius Brown
Sunday, January 17 at 3pm EST
A $10 minimum donation is required to attend this event.
100% of donations go to DHA’s relief efforts during this difficult time.
RSVP here and Claim Your Spot Now
That last link should take you to the registration page.
Major’s backstory (adorable picture of puppies at link):
In early 2018, the shelter received a litter of six German shepherd puppies, including the future first dog. The puppies were in a medical crisis.
“They were very sick,” said Patrick Carroll, executive director of the Delaware Humane Association. “They had gotten into a toxic substance. We’re not sure what.
“The dogs were lethargic, vomiting and hospitalized for a few days,” Carroll says.
The pups bounced back. They recovered with fluids and medication. The shelter posted to Facebook in March 2018 in search of foster homes. According to Carroll, Ashley Biden sent the post to her father, knowing he was looking for a companion for the aging Champ.
Joe Biden showed up.
“He just dropped in on Easter Sunday of all days,” Carroll said, “and wanted to meet the puppies.”
Soon, Major was in foster with the Bidens. Within months, the news broke that he had found his forever (fur-ever?) home. Biden returned to the shelter with a grown Major to officially adopt him in November 2018.
Open thread for pleasant stuff.
Just Some Fuckhead
I keep getting Major Biden confused with Major Garrett. Which one responds to single commands immediately, again?
JPL
@Just Some Fuckhead: lol Imagine what Major Garrett would look like if he caused the President-elect’s ankle mishap.
Finch is excited about the event, because I told him there would be cookies.
Mary G
I’m touched that all the money goes to the Humane Society and none to Biden. I can’t imagine Twitler ever doing such a thing.
trollhattan
I’m at a loss at how to react to a normal, nice person in the White House. And dogs! Need to work on that.
Just Some Fuckhead
@trollhattan: I don’t get excited about dogs in the WH. Nixon had Checkers, after all.
ETA: Apparently Checkers never lived in the WH.
randy khan
That is really lovely. And it’s great to have a rescue pet in the White House. Kind of a metaphor, if you know what I mean.
trollhattan
@Mary G:
Trump would raise money using a dog thus.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Aw, what a nice story! It’ll be nice to have pets in the WH again
debbie
Will no one think of Champ?
artem1s
The amount willingness by people and organizations to think creatively about online events during the pandemic has just floored me. I was so tickled to see that Biden was a rescue kind of guy. And that he is willing to share the spotlight with his dog on his big day so that this very deserving organization can fundraise – dammit – so normal but just so humane. This simple act of kindness will now be the new normal – thank Dog and the FSM.
IOW, No more stinky tweets about what a loser event this will be, not bigly perfect like MY inauguration!
debbie
Duplicate.
Baud
@debbie:
Nobody puts Champ in a corner.
SiubhanDuinne
@Just Some Fuckhead:
No, Checkers was back when Nixon was VP. But I vaguely remember that he had a dog named King Kickapoo or something when he was Prez.
JCJ
@debbie:
So for you Champ is the First Dog and Major is the Second Dog, a la the Esteemed Betty Cracker referring to Melania as the Third Lady?
Ken
On the other hand, we don’t have to imagine him doing the opposite. He raised money for a veterans organization during the 2016 campaign, and kept it for months.
And remind me, why can’t his kids run a charity in New York state any more? Pediatric cancer, was it?
karen marie
@Ken: That will at some point be extended to “any and all non-profits.”
Nicole
That was a great article! I still love best the photo of Biden and Major the day Biden adopted him, where someone pointed out that Joe Biden’s dog looked like the Joe Biden of dogs. Ha!
Elizabelle
Joe Biden, showing up at the shelter by himself, no announcement, and fostering a busy puppy. No word on how thrilled Champ was at the time, with that turn of events.
Happy to have a regular guy mensch back in the White House.
LurkerNoLonger
It will be good to have animals (the four-legged kind) back in the White House again.
zhena gogolia
@artem1s:
I enjoyed this year’s DNC so much. I’m looking forward to the Inauguration.
Skepticat
Yes, I’m pretty sick of the cur that’s there now.
trollhattan
@SiubhanDuinne:
IIRC Nixon had an Irish setter, King Timahoe?
ETA favorite WH dog has to be that big ol’ Lucky that dragged Nancy Reagan’s skinny ass around.
Elizabelle
@trollhattan: And who can forget Liberty, the golden (?) that entangled Gerald Ford on a few occasions.
Chevy Chase probably made bank off that dog.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mary G:
Considering he is supposed to have siphoned off money from a fundraiser for a children’s cancer charity, I’m pretty sure you’re correct.
SiubhanDuinne
@trollhattan:
Yeah, that’s it. King Timahoe. Thanks.
Auntie Anne
Just want to put in a good word for DHA. They have been giving out free pet food at drive-up events since March for those who need help feeding their pets during the pandemic. I’m sure they’ll put the $10 donations to good use.
Jim Appleton
This is the kind of news I look forward to.
Just got my first Moderna vaccine injection.
I hope by the booster I feel twice as good as I do today!
CaseyL
Signed up! Sounds like a great opportunity to do some quality dog-watching. I have cats, but love dogs, and am always up for a vicarious dog experience!
Major Major Major Major
Pleasant stuff? Behold, the le Guin stamp!
germy
Amanda Gorman (age 22) will be reading a poem:
Viva BrisVegas
@Major Major Major Major: One of the best and probably most overlooked American writer of the 20th Century in any genre.
Imagine how much better the world would be if The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness were part of the deprogramming regime for anyone infected by Atlas Shrugged.
TheronWare
To have a first dog again, oh joy!
Baud
@germy:
I suppose it’s considered inappropriate in today’s society to have Munchkins at the inauguration who can perform this role.
Kristine
@Major Major Major Major: This is very cool.
Mike in NC
As a parting middle finger to the nation, Traitor Trump plans on honoring himself again with some sort of a military parade. Sickening! Good riddance to the American Caligula.
Jeffro
@debbie: I was gonna say!
Anyone with more than one kiddo in the household knows there has to be some sort of token celebration of the OTHER kid!!
Woodrow/asim
One: This continues to be a truly heartwarming story, the more we hear about it.
Two: Not much has been said about Biden’s fashion sense (understandably so), but damn he looks good in that outfit.
Three: Le Guin deserves a host of honors. Even if her genre fiction isn’t your taste, if you’re a writer she, along with King and Mosley, is someone who’s works on wiring, like Steering the Craft, are kick-ass.
debbie
@JCJ:
Can’t they be co-equal partners?
lamh36
I think Rev Warnock is gonna end up a well liked star in the Senate!
Thank you Georgia, so glad he won.
debbie
@zhena gogolia:
I thought the roll call was the best part of the convention.
cckids
This! When we had our 2nd, a friend kindly brought a “big brother” gift to our oldest along with the baby gift. It was such a kind, charming gesture that I’ve copied it ever since.
Mo Salad
more testing
Mo Salad
Even more testing
Robert Sneddon
@Woodrow/asim:
The Science Fiction Writers of America (actually a world-wide organisation) gave Le Guin their Grand Master award in 2002. It’s only given to one person a year and it’s for lifetime achievements in writing speculative fiction.
As for essential le Guin, her short story “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is brief and cutting and makes you wonder at the folks who “don’t get it”.
Mo Salad
test phone
germy
@Mo Salad:
Okay this is getting ominous.
Mo Salad
We are fine. WaterGirl was fixing me live on two devices.
Mo Salad
refresh your page and watch them disappear.
Mo Salad
2X2L calling CQ . . . 2X2L calling CQ . . . 2X2L calling CQ . . . New York. Isn’t there anyone on the air? Isn’t there anyone on the air? Isn’t there anyone . . . 2X2L —
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Mo Salad: I didn’t know WaterGirl performed surgery.
(snip, snip…)
Mo Salad
What’s the frequency, Kenneth?
Mo Salad
Bonus internet points for getting #49 reference.
Nora Lenderbee
@JCJ: Do Kamala and Doug have a dog? Would it be Vice Dog or something?
Matt McIrvin
@Major Major Major Major: Is that Estraven and Genly Ai behind her? I think it is!
Sloane Ranger
@trollhattan: Nixon seems to have had 3 dogs in the Presidential years, in addition to the Irish Setter he had a poodle and a terrier.
If you Google Presidential pets, you will find a full list for all Presidents, including some lovely pics.
ThresherK
“Leading his chosen human” and “Indoguration Party”?
I’m dying with luv here.
Just Some Fuckhead
TV going on and on about how close Pence was to being captured by the insurrectionists and I’m like, yeah, that woulda been a damned shame, lol.
Auntie Anne
@debbie: Me too!
catclub
@karen marie: That will at some point be extended to “any and all non-profits.”
The NFL is a 501 non-profit organization.