According to new records, President Joe Biden’s dog Commander has bitten United States Secret Service (USSS) agents at least 24 times, causing havoc for the presidential bodyguards, CNN said.
“The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present—please give lots of room,” one senior agent wrote to their team in a June 2023 email, adding that agents “must be creative to ensure our own personal safety.”
The warning was issued months before the German Shepherd was taken from the White House.
The documents, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, show at least 24 biting instances between October 2022 and July 2023.
These incidents featured USSS members being bitten on various places of their bodies, including the wrist.
The documentation do not necessarily include all biting incidences involving Commander.
They only protect the Secret Service, not other White House employees or Camp David staff in Maryland.
The Biden family’s pet left the White House in October of last year, one week after a Secret Service worker needed medical attention for a severe bite.
A prior occurrence in June resulted in a “deep bite” on an agent’s forearm, which required stitches. According to one document, the event caused a 20-minute stoppage of tours of the White House’s East Wing due to blood on the floor in a specific spot.
In July, another agent was bitten in the hand and required six stitches due to a “severe deep open wound”. The agent lost significant blood.
Colleagues were gifted a “small care package,” including painkillers, antibiotic ointment, pepper spray, a muzzle, and dog biscuits, “for safety purposes.”.
