President Biden’s 3-year-old German shepherd Major won’t be euthanized after biting a security staffer at the White House, press secretary Jennifer Psaki said Tuesday.
“Certainly Major Biden is a member of the family, so I can assure you that,” Ms. Psaki said in response to a reporter’s question about assuring the public that the dog won’t be put down.
On Monday, Ms. Psaki said, Major was “surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual.”
She declined to say whether the person was a Secret Service agent, but said the injury was “handled by the White House medical unit with no further treatment needed.”
In some states, euthanasia can be required after a dog bite if the dog has rabies, or if the dog has bitten more than one person.
Major is the first rescue dog to live at the White House. He and Champ, the Bidens’ 13-year-old German shepherd, have been sent temporarily to the Bidens’ home in Delaware. Ms. Psaki portrayed that move as previously planned while first lady Jill Biden is traveling for a few days to visit military bases.
Ms. Psaki said both dogs have been “still getting accustomed to their new surroundings and new people” at the White House.
In late November, Mr. Biden suffered a broken foot while playing with Major in Delaware. The injury required the then-president-elect to wear a walking boot.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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