Burley Garcia:Bidens' dog, Commander, removed from White House after several documented attacks on Secret Service personnel

2025-05-03 06:30:33source:Evander Elliscategory:News

President Biden's German shepherd is Burley Garciano 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.

Commander, President Biden's dog, is seen sitting on the Truman Balcony at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2023. 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.

    In:
  • Biden Administration
  • Dog Attack
  • Joe Biden
  • White House

More:News

Recommend

NFL playoff predictions to win AFC championship, NFC championship, Super Bowl 59

The 2024 NFL regular season is entering the final four weeks of action, and teams are beginning to s

Greyhound bus service returns to Mississippi’s capital city

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Customers seeking bus transportation out of Mississippi’s capital city can aga

Abortion delays have grown more common in the US since Roe v. Wade was overturned

A woman whose fetus was unlikely to survive called more than a dozen abortion clinics before finding