The major pictured at right was reportedly startled by someone on Monday and allegedly “pinched” on him. White House officials said a doctor had been called but no further treatment was needed. Hide White House caption
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The major pictured at right was reportedly startled by someone on Monday and allegedly “pinched” on him. White House officials said a doctor had been called but no further treatment was needed.
White House
President Biden’s Dog Major – the first to be ruled by a Protection to the White House – apparently hasn’t been a very good boy lately.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the three-year-old German Shepherd was “surprised by an unknown person on Monday and reacted in a way that resulted in minor individual injury”.
Psaki did not disclose any information about the person who sneaked on the pooch, but she said the White House medical department had handled the incident. “No further treatment was required,” she explained. She later added that the Biden’s two German Shepherds – Major and Champ – “are still getting used to and getting used to their new surroundings and people.”
NBC reports that a source familiar with the matter says Major pinched an intelligence agent’s hand but did not break his skin, and the agent never missed a job. They described it as “an extremely minor injury”.
Since arriving at the prestigious address on Pennsylvania Ave. Major is quite paw-shaped. He made history as the first presidential dog to receive its own “indoguration”. The event was hosted by the Delaware Humane Assn. where the Bidens first groomed him as a puppy in 2018.
Major was one of six puppies who got sick after ingesting a toxic substance.
On Tuesday, Psaki said Major and Champ had been sent to Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware while First Lady Jill Biden was traveling. But that the two pooches – who are very contained on one exclusive list of people or creatures who can “enter” the Oval Office at any time – will likely be back at the President’s side next week.
Major is no stranger to bad press. It made headlines in November after Biden broke his foot while playing with the puppy. And soon, both dogs will have to share the spotlight with another of the President’s pets: a cat.
However, it is unclear when that will happen.
“Today is a good day for the cat,” said Psaki at the briefing on Tuesday. “I don’t have an update for the cat. We know the cat is going to destroy the internet, but I don’t have an update on its status,” she said.
