The Biden administration has confirmed that the First Family's German Shepherd, Commander, has been relocated from the White House due to a series of aggressive incidents involving Secret Service agents.
The two-year-old canine reportedly bit agents on at least 24 separate occasions, prompting the decision to move him to the care of family relatives.
Elizabeth Alexander, spokeswoman for First Lady Jill Biden, issued a statement explaining the move. "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," she said. "Despite additional dog training, leashing, working with veterinarians, and consulting with animal behaviorists, the White House environment simply proved too much for Commander."
Alexander confirmed that Commander has been living with other family members since the fall. This follows a similar decision made regarding the Bidens' previous dog, Major.
Commander's aggressive behavior has been documented in a series of incidents involving members of the President's team. While most injuries were minor, some were more severe. In July 2023, a Secret Service agent required stitches following a bite from Commander.
An incident report obtained by the New York Post detailed the event. The agent "heard the voice of what [they] believes to be FLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden yelling '[redacted quote].' Commander ran towards the direction of post [redacted] booth and bit [the agent] in the left forearm, [c]ausing a severe deep open wound."
The report continued, "[the agent] started to lose a significant amount of blood from [their] arm. [The agent] remained calm and walked away from the area looking for help [The agent] received six stitches in the left hand forearm and antibiotics for the wound."
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi addressed the incidents involving Commander, stating that the agency "takes the safety and wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously, and has been navigating how to best operate in an environment that includes family pets for many Presidential administrations."
He added, "The incidents involving Commander were treated as workplace injuries, with events documented in accordance with Secret Service and US Department of Homeland Security guidelines. While Secret Service personnel neither handle nor care for the first family's pets, we work continuously with all applicable entities in order to minimize any adverse impacts from family pets."
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