President Joe Biden‘s German shepherd Commander is no longer at the White House after photos of the dog aggressively biting the arm of another White House staffer emerged, making this the 12th known bite.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham ripped the handling of the dog, calling into question a double standard in the treatment of the president’s dog.
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“Don’t we sense the two tiers of justice even applied to the canine perpetrators? Any dog in D.C. that bites one time has to be quarantined for 10 days. You have to get all of the shots. But if that dog bites twice—,” Ingraham said Monday, gesturing that a normal dog would face severe punishment for this behavior.
New photographs were captured by a White House tourist on Sept. 13. The tourist was wanting to capture pictures of Biden’s dog when Dale Haney, the superintendent of the White House grounds, was spotted being aggressively attacked by Commander. The German shepherd was seen jumping up on Haney in the White House gardens and sinking his teeth into his arm and wrist.
The 71-year-old chief groundskeeper celebrated his 50th anniversary tending to the 18 acres of White House gardens and grounds last year.
Haney’s bite makes it the 12th known of White House staff. Last week, it was discovered that Commander had made his 11th bite of a Secret Service agent.
Previous bites have been documented in emails uncovered by the organization Judicial Watch, which showed that the dog had charged at a member of Secret Service staff, among other officers causing hospitalization and injuries.
The Washington Examiner’s Byron York wrote on Tuesday that the president must act on this White House scandal.
“A president who puts his dog over the men and women who put their own lives on the line to save the president of the United States. As Joe Biden might say — not a joke. So when will the president do something about it?” York wrote in his daily memo.
Washington, D.C., government requires that a dog be put “under quarantine” on the owner’s property “for 10 days,” and owners are responsible for damage done by their dog. The District of Columbia Dangerous Dog Statutes place restrictions on dogs that have bitten or attacked pets or people without provocation.
The district mayor is also authorized to “conduct an investigation and make a determination as to whether a dog is a potentially dangerous or dangerous dog.” The owner will be responsible for the impounding cost of a dog considered a threat to public safety.
According to the district code, the mayor “may humanely destroy a dog” if it meets the criteria of being a threat to public safety, the owner fails any special security requirements established by the mayor, the owner fails to pay for impoundment costs, or the owner forfeits dog for destruction.
Following York’s column, Ingraham’s comments, and the newly reported photographs, a spokesperson for the White House revealed Wednesday night that Commander had been removed from the White House.
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“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,” Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for first lady Jill Biden, reportedly said.
Alexander added, “They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions. Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated.”
