President Joe Biden has given his German shepherd, Commander, away after biting Secret Service agents at least two dozen times at the White House and elsewhere.
Commander was banished from the presidential residence after the 11th attack that was publicly disclosed and happened in the fall, newly released Secret Service emails reveal.
The roughly 24 incidents between October 2022 and July 2023 are a higher number than previously known, and the emails detail for the first time the measures that the federal agency took to try to keep agents safe from the dog.
Commander is now living with Biden’s other family members. He has been gifted to Biden by his brother and sister-in-law.
A source close to the Bidens said ‘they’ve been heartbroken’ over Commander’s attacks.
‘They’ve apologized to those who have been bitten, taken flowers to some. They feel awful,’ the source told CNN.
‘Commander was over-protective, and even though they tried and tried to work on it, they had to let him go live with other members of their family.’
The dozens of attacks by Commander included an incident in June when the dog knocked down and bit a Secret Service agent so hard that stitches were required. Due to blood on the floor, tours of the East Wing of the White House were shut down for 20 minutes, according to the emails.
In a June 2023 email, an unnamed unnamed assistant special agent overseeing the Secret Services’ Presidential Protective Division told agents they ‘must be creative to ensure our own personal safety’.
‘The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present – please give lots of room,’ wrote the assistant special agent.
First Lady Jill Biden’s spokeswoman, Elizabeth Alexander, stated that ‘despite additional dog training, leashing, working with veterinarians, and consulting with animal behaviorists, the White House environment simply proved too much for Commander’.
Commander is Biden’s second dog to be sent away. His German shepherd Major was also removed from the White House after multiple biting incidents.
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