President Biden’s German shepherd is no longer at the White House in the wake of multiple documented reports of aggressive behavior against Secret Service staff members.
Elizabeth Alexander, a spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden, confirmed to CBS News in a statement Wednesday evening that the family dog, named Commander, “is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated.”
Alexander did not say where Commander had been taken, or whether the move from the White House would be permanent.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
“The President and First Lady care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day,” Alexander said. “They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions.”
There have been at least 11 documented attacks by the 2-year-old Commander against Secret Service personnel.
In July, nearly 200-pages of redacted federal documents were released that described 10 of those alleged attacks by the German shepherd on Secret Service officers and agents dating back to October 2022. None of the injuries sustained by the victims were serious, the documents said.
An eleventh attack was reported on Sept. 25, in which a uniformed Secret Service officer “came in contact” with Commander at the White House “and was bitten.”
On Wednesday, CNN, citing sources, said the number of reported attacks were believed to be higher, and included other groups of White House employees.
Commander was gifted to the Bidens as a puppy in December of 2021 after the death of their German shepherd Champ earlier that year.
That same year, Biden’s other German shepherd, Major, was relocated to Delaware to live with friends of the Bidens’ after also being involved in multiple biting incidents at the White House.
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