ReutersPresident Joe Biden's dog Commander has bitten a U.S. Secret Service agent at least 24 times, new documents reveal.
U.S. Secret Service records show how much havoc German Shepherds caused to presidential bodyguards.
A senior agent said the latest bite signaled a change in tactics for the Secret Service, advising agents to “give them plenty of leeway.”
The warning came months before the commander in chief was removed from the White House.
The document was revealed through a Freedom of Information request and posted online. They have been heavily redacted to protect the secrecy of the Secret Service agents' identities and security tactics.
They said at least 24 biting incidents occurred between October 2022 and July 2023, including in which Secret Service members were bitten on the wrist, forearm, elbow, lower back, chest, thigh, and shoulder. It shows that
The documents do not necessarily record all the poignant incidents related to the commander. The document only covers the Secret Service, not other White House employees or staff at Camp David, Maryland.
The Biden family pet left the White House last October, a week after a Secret Service agent required treatment for a severe bite.
A previous incident in June resulted in a “deep bite” to the agent's forearm that required stitches. One document said bloodstains on some floors of the White House caused tours of the building's east wing to be halted for 20 minutes.
In July, another agent was bitten on the hand and required six stitches. One email states the bite caused a “severe deep open wound” and the agent “began bleeding profusely.”
The drug was accompanied by a “small care package” given by a colleague as a gift, which included painkillers, antibiotic ointment, pepper spray, a muzzle and dog biscuits “just to be on the safe side.”
An anonymous senior agent advised in an email that agents protecting Mr. Biden and his family “must be creative in ensuring our own safety.”
“Due to recent dog bite incidents, we need to adjust our operational tactics when commanders are present. Give them plenty of leeway (preferably away from terrain features),” the agents wrote. .
