Commander, Biden's dog, no longer at White House after 'series' of biting incidents
FILE - Commander, President Joe Bidens German shepherd, oversees the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, is "not presently on the White House campus" following a series of biting incidents involving White House staff and U.S. Secret Service officers, a spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden said late Wednesday.
Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, said President Biden and his wife care deeply about the safety of White House staff 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," she said in an emailed statement, adding, "Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated."
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Alexander did not say where the 2-year-old German shepherd was sent.
The statement came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked at her briefing Wednesday about another allegation that Commander had bitten a White House staffer.
Jean-Pierre referred questions to the first lady’s office, which said Commander and Dale Haney, the head groundskeeper at the White House, were playing and that no skin was broken in an incident that was photographed by a tourist and shared with a news organization, which published the image online.