Bidens pay tribute to ‘cherished companion’

Joe and Jill Biden have announced their family dog Champ has died, saying ‘‘our hearts are heavy today’’. In a tribute, the US president and the First Lady said the 13-yearold German Shepherd was a ‘‘constant, cherished companion’’ in their ‘‘most joyful moments and in our most grief-stricken days’’. The couple said the dog’s strength had waned in his final months and that he passed away peacefully at home. ‘‘Wherever we were, he wanted to be, and everything was instantly better when he was next to us,’’ they said in a statement.