"Should be charged with animal abuse": Joe Biden kicks dog in viral video, sparks outrage amid Commander's removal from the White House

Commander, the two-year-old German Shepherd of the Biden family, was recently removed from the White House after several reports of biting. While so far it hasn’t been disclosed what the President and his family intend to do with the dog, the BBC confirmed on Thursday, October 5, that the dog has bitten someone or another at least 11 times, be it at the White House complex or the Biden family home in Delaware.

In fact, last week itself, Commander bit a Secret Service agent who had to get immediate medical assistance. In the wake of Commander’s removal from the White House, a video has now gone viral over the internet that shows Joe Biden kicking the German Shepherd in an airport after getting his feet entrapped in the dog's leash.

As soon as the footage went up on social media, netizens started slamming President Biden for ill-treating a dog. In this regard, one X (formerly Twitter) commented under @lesliebless’ post.

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“That’s why he’s so awful to people”: Netizens call out President Biden for kicking his dog Commander

As per BBC reports, the Biden family dog Commander has been taken away from the White House after it bit people on multiple occasions, including a Secret Service agent last week.

So far, it hasn’t been decided what the family would do with the German Shepherd and whether or not it would return to the White House. In this regard, a spokesperson named Elizabeth Alexander of the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, told the news outlet on Wednesday, October 4:

“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…Commander is not presently on the White House campus while the next steps are evaluated.”

She also added how the President's family was grateful for the support and patience of the Secret Service personnel, even as they tried to work out solutions. However, she did not specify where the German Shepherd was currently at.

As per CNN, the Secret Service confirmed that Commander bit at least 11 of their officials, while the actual number was higher than that. While most of the victims received medical care on scene, one even had to be rushed to the hospital.

Amidst all these reports, netizens have come upon a video of Joe Biden kicking and punching his dog while keeping it on a leash. Since the footage circulated on the social media platform, it has garnered traction as well as major backlash from people, with many dubbing the President “an animal abuser.”

Interestingly, this was not the first time Commander has been subjected to media attention. Back in July, when a biting incident happened, the White House press secretary went on record blaming the stressful environment of the residence behind the dog’s unruly behavior. Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement during a media conference:

“It is unique and it is stressful for all of us. So, you can imagine what it's like for a family pet or family pets, more broadly.”

That very month reports from the White House stated that they were trying out new training methods on the German Shepherd. As per BBC, the attacks first began in the fall of 2022.

For those uninitiated, Commander is one of the two German Shepherds taken care of by the family and was a gift from the President’s brother James in December 2021, as per The Independent.

The other one is named Major and is the younger of the two, who also has a biting history. Major also happens to be the first ever rescue dog to be a White House resident. In 2021, after a series of trainings, it was also removed from the White House and sent to live with Biden’s family friends.