Joe and Jill Biden have added two black Lab-mix puppies, Boo and Scout, to the former president’s home in Delaware, Humane Animal Partners said. The Delaware animal welfare organization announced the adoption Monday and shared a photo of the Bidens smiling alongside the two puppies and the couple’s cat, Willow.
Humane Animal Partners said it connected the Bidens with the dogs after learning the couple was interested in two black Labrador retrievers. The organization said Boo and Scout are siblings, originally named Linda and Rocky, and were rescued from an overcrowded shelter in Tennessee.
Patrick Carroll, the group’s chief executive, said the organization’s team intentionally brought the puppies to Humane Animal Partners because it expected they would fit the Bidens and their home. The group said the Bidens took the puppies home on a trial basis before making the adoption official.
The announcement comes after the Bidens’ earlier experience with German shepherds at the White House. The Bidens were known for their German shepherds during their time in the White House, including Major and Commander, which were sent away after biting incidents involving Secret Service personnel and White House staff.
Humane Animal Partners’ report said Major was sent to live with friends after biting incidents in 2021, and that Commander was removed two years later. It also said Commander had been a gift to Joe Biden from his brother James in December 2021.
Jill Biden told The Associated Press that she and the former president decided not to reclaim Major and Commander after they left the White House. Another of the Bidens’ German shepherds, Champ, died in 2021 at age 13.