President Joe Biden’s younger dog Commander bit another US Secret Service officer earlier this week.
Commander, a two-year-old purebred German shepherd, bit a Secret Service officer on Monday around 8 p.m. The injured officer was treated by medical personnel and is doing well following the incident, USSS Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to CNN.
This recent incident would be the 11th known case of a dog biting a Secret Service agent at the White House and in Delaware. This follows reports in July that Secret Service members raised concerns about Commander in an email correspondence that emerged in emails obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the conservative group Judicial Watch.
President Joe Biden with Cmdr.
Adam Schultz/White House via AP
In the email correspondence, the staff said the commander was involved in at least 10 incidents, CNN reported. “I believe it’s only a matter of time before an agent/officer is attacked or wronged,” claimed one staff member.
One email showed that a Secret Service officer went to the hospital to be treated for injuries after a German shepherd allegedly bit the officer on the arm and thigh in November 2022.
In the October 2022 incident, the commander charged a Secret Service agent, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden reportedly “couldn’t regain control.”
dr. Jill Biden and the Dogs’ First-in-Chief share a special message of love for the 2022 Puppy Bowl — Watch
“Over the past several presidential administrations, the Secret Service has decided how best to operate around family pets, and these incidents are no exception,” Guglielmi said in a statement to CNN in July. “The safety and well-being of our employees is extremely important to us.”
“As such, we are aware of past incidents involving first family pets, and these cases were treated similarly to comparable workplace injuries, including relevant notification and reporting procedures,” the statement continued.
Guglielmi explained that the Secret Service works “with all applicable entities to minimize negative impacts in an environment involving pets,” but they do not care for or handle pets.
First Lady Jill Biden was ‘obsessed’ with having dogs Champ and Major ‘take up residence’ in the White House
The Biden family welcomed the commander to the White House in December 2021. His arrival at the White House followed the death of Biden’s previous German shepherd, Champ, who died in June 2021.
Biden, 80, chirped“Welcome to the White House, Commander,” with a photo of a dog running with a tennis ball in its mouth.
Commander is the third dog to move into the White House during Biden’s presidency. The 2-year-old dog was previously joined by Major.
The Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018, but after a brief stay at the White House, he was removed from the residence due to several “bite incidents.” In early 2021, Major was then rehomed and now lives with family friends of the Bidens.
“After consulting with dog trainers, animal behaviorists and veterinarians, the First Family decided to follow the collective recommendation of experts that it would be safest for Major to live in a quieter environment with family friends,” Michael LaRosa, spokesman for Dr. Jill Biden at the time, she told PEOPLE. “This is not a reaction to some new or specific incident, but a decision made after several months of family consideration and discussions with experts.”
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Source: HIS Education