ohmidog!

Vice president-elect Joe Biden, who faced some heat for his decision to purchase a dog from a breeder, says his family plans to get a second dog — this one from a shelter or rescue organization.

“We’re going to have more than one puppy,” he said in on the ABC News show This Week With George Stephanopoulous.

Biden’s purchase of a 6-week-old German shepherd from a Chester County breeder Dec. 6 touched off a national debate about pet-shopping, with critics pointing to the millions of dogs euthanized in shelters each year.

Biden said his family is not getting the dog in an effort to appear politically correct, but because his wife wants it, and because his family has almost always had two dogs.

Biden told Stephanopoulos that he was partial to German shepherds, but that he had always had two “big dogs” as companions for each other.

“I’ve had German shepherds since I was a kid, and I’ve actually trained them and shown them in the past,” Biden said in the interview. “So I wanted a German shepherd, and we’re going to get a pound dog, which my wife wants, that is hopefully a golden” retriever.

Volunteers with Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue in Reinholds, Lancaster County – which has placed two rescued dogs with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell – told the Philadelphia Inquirer they were thrilled with the news and hoped Biden would be interested in one of their dogs.

“There are plenty of dogs to rescue,” said Judy Holmes, who has helped find homes for hundreds of unwanted dogs of all ages in the last 15 years.

It was unclear whether Biden had a particular shelter in mind, but if he chooses the rescue, he would have to go through its rigorous vetting process like everyone else.

Animal welfare advocate praised Biden’s move, as they have President-elect Obama’s decision to get a shelter or rescue dog for his family.

“It’s so important that high-profile elected officials like the vice president set an example and demonstrate that the best source for dogs is your local animal shelter,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States. “We are very grateful to the vice president-elect for making the humane choice.”