Proclamation honors memory of President Biden’s dog Champ

Honoring the request of the Brandywine Valley SPCA on behalf of Delaware’s animal welfare community, Delaware Gov. John Carney and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long issued a July 1 proclamation in memoriam of President Joe Biden’s dog Champ, who passed away June 19.

The memorial proclamation was delivered to the White House accompanied by a letter written by BVSPCA Chief Executive Officer Adam Lamb. 

The memorial pays tribute to the extraordinary life and service of Champ, a German Shepherd who lived much of his 13-year life in President Biden’s home state of Delaware. BVSPCA, which operates three open-admission, no-kill shelters and veterinary clinics in Delaware, requested that the proclamation be written as a way for Delawareans to share their condolences with the Biden family.

“Thank you to Gov. Carney and Lt. Gov. Hall-Long for creating this beautiful tribute to Champ, a beloved Biden family member, from all Delawareans,” said Lamb. “Here at the Brandywine Valley SPCA, we do the work of caring for pets and uniting them with new families every day, and we know how personal and unique bonds with an animal can be. Our Brandywine Valley SPCA family mourns the loss of Champ with the Biden family, and they are in all of our hearts and minds.”

In his personal letter to President Biden, Lamb includes the anonymous Rainbow Bridge poem, written in memory of pets after they have passed away. “When I lost my rescue dog Napoleon nearly a year ago, [this poem] brought joy and peace when thinking of all the fond memories,” wrote Lamb in the letter. “I truly hope it does the same for you.”