Biden's Dog Removed from White House After Report That Attacks Were Even Worse Than First Disclosed
President Joe Biden has banished his dog, Commander, from the White House after multiple biting incidents one report said exceeded the 11 reported to date.
“Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated,” Elizabeth Alexander, spokeswoman for first lady Jill Biden, said in a statement, according to NBC News.
“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. They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions,” Alexander said.
Commander joins Major, a former Biden family dog, in being exiled from the White House because of issues with biting.
In July, records acquired in a Freedom of Information Act request by Judicial Watch indicated that Secret Service members had been bitten multiple times, with one incident requiring a trip to a D.C. hospital.
CNN reported Thursday that more people have been bitten than the 11 acknowledged incidents, with bites that ranged from one severe enough for hospital treatment to others that were never reported. The last reported bite took place Sept. 25, according to CNN.
Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said no complete number exists.
The White House has declined to answer CNN’s inquiry on a specific number of biting incidents involving Commander.
The outlet quoted what it said was a “source familiar with the president’s Secret Service detail” as saying a supervisor told him summer brought a spate of biting incidents.
Ryan Bulson, a local dog trainer and president of Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue, told CNN that the dogs needed a routine that was sorely lacking.
“It’s a German shepherd. They need structure. They need consistency. They need boundaries. They are a guardian breed. … When you’re looking at different people holding that leash, I would guarantee that there is no consistency amongst all of them,” Bulson said.
“It doesn’t matter if we were talking about the president, the pope, it doesn’t matter to me. I take that title out of the equation. I look at the dog. … At the end of the day, I feel the worst for the dog first. Second of all, I feel just as bad for the people that dog had bitten. Because the dog has been set up to fail. If you can’t give the dog what the dog needs, then get a goldfish,” he said.
Bulson said it would be up to the Bidens to teach their dog to behave.
“If they don’t, as the humans, change their behaviors, then yes, it’s too late. They’re going to have to change their behaviors first before you can even think about changing the dog’s behaviors. Because they’re enabling, that’s what it boils down to,” he said.
“If they don’t change the way they handle and care for the dog … and learn and make a conscious effort to and legitimately say, ‘I am going to change my ways to set the dog up for success,’ if they can’t do that, that dog’s never going to be able to be helped in their care. They have to make that decision,” Bulson said.
Recent photos published by the U.K.’s Daily Mail showed Commander with Dale Haney, the superintendent of the White House grounds. Haney was holding out his left forearm as Commander’s teeth were surrounding it.
According to NBC News, a senior White House official said Haney downplayed the incident.
“Commander was being playful, and there was no bite, no pressure of teeth on his skin, no mark — just some dog slobber,” the official quoted Haney as saying.
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