Biden’s two-year-old German shepherd “Commander” was kicked out of the White House. The dog bit staff and security guards.
First Lady Jill Biden’s spokesperson says Biden’s dog Commander no longer lives at the White House after a series of biting incidents involving White House and US Secret Service personnel.
Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, said Wednesday that the President and first lady care deeply about the safety of the White House staff and those guarding them. Alexander said in an emailed statement:
“Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated. The President and first lady remain grateful for the patience and support of the US Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions.”
Alexander did not specify where the two-year-old purebred German Shepherd was moved. The dog was last seen walking on Saturday on the upper balcony of the president’s private quarters at the White House, according to eyewitnesses.
The removal of the Commander came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked at the daily media briefing about the new allegation that he bit a White House staffer.
Jean-Pierre referred questions to the First Lady’s office, which stated that Commander and Dale Haney, the White House head gardener, were playing as usual. However, an incident occurred in which a dog bit the gardener. The gardener claims the injuries are minor.
The US Secret Service said that Commander had bitten 11 of its employees. According to US media reports, in fact, there were many more bite victims, and that the dog had also bitten other White House staff. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, in one such case, an injured law enforcement officer required hospitalisation.
Following a biting incident on September 25 involving a uniformed Secret Service officer, Alexander said that “the White House can be a stressful environment for family pets” and that the Bidens were continuing to “work on ways to help Commander handle the often unpredictable nature of the White House grounds”.
The Secret Service provides security for the president and his family, and dozens of its employees are stationed around the White House mansion and on its vast grounds.
Commander, Biden’s second dog at the White House, has shown aggression to those around him. The previous dog, also a German Shepherd named Major, had to be sent to friends in Delaware. Commander was given to the president in December 2021 by his brother James.
The Bidens’ favourite dog Chump died in 2021 at the age of 13. They also have a cat named Willow. The cat has not yet shown any aggression.
It is unclear whether the two dogs will return to the White House – a territory that saw no pets during the tenure of the previous US president, Donald Trump.
