Biden has two beautiful German Shepherds named Champ and Major, and Major was adopted from the Delaware Humane Association by Biden and his wife in 2018. Major and his five siblings ended up at the shelter when they were all still puppies after the entire litter had been exposed to toxins.

It was Ashley Biden, Biden’s daughter, who first brought Major to the president-elect’s attention. She sent her father a Facebook post in which the shelter announced that the puppies were looking for their forever homes.

The puppies had survived their exposure to toxins thanks to receiving emergency medical care and were now hoping that the rest of their lives would be easier than their scary and tumultuous start. After seeing the post, Biden contacted the shelter and became Major’s foster dad.

Biden already had one pup at home, Champ, who he and his wife brought into their home back in 2008. Champ and Major soon became best friends, and Biden ended up formally adopting Major.

The White House has a long history of dogs and President Trump was the first president since 1897 to not have a dog. Now, many people are excited to see little paws tripping over the White House floors once again.

Though Major is the first shelter dog to make the White House his home, he is not the first rescue dog. That title goes to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s pup Yuki, who was adopted off the streets back in 1966 after Johnson’s daughter spotted the little stray wandering around a Texas gas station.