THE SHARK finally gets his puppy
EAST COVENTRY - German shepherd breeder Linda Brown looked out her window to find seven black Secret Service vehicles in her driveway over the weekend.
But what would you expect when Vice President-elect Joe Biden goes shopping for a puppy?
It seems President-elect Barack Obama's children were not the only ones promised a dog after the presidential election. Biden's wife, Jill, made the same assurance to her husband if he and Obama, his running mate, won the election.
Jill Biden had taped pictures of different dogs on the back of the seat in front of Biden on his campaign plane to inspire the candidate as he crisscrossed the country in the final sprint to election day, according to published reports during the campaign.
Saturday, Biden selected a three-month-old male German shepherd from one of Brown's litters, a puppy that will turn out to be a "big boy," Brown said with a chuckle.
"He is the nicest person on this earth," Brown said about her meeting with Biden, the Democratic senator from Delaware, now getting ready to take over the office of vice president.
A spokeswoman at Biden's transition press office said the office does not comment on Biden's personal matters but did confirm that Biden had two German shepherds in the past and likes the breed.
Brown said the whole process started with a phone call from Mark Tobin, who coordinates the New Castle County Police K-9 division. "He came up to scout me out," Brown said. "He said I had beautiful dogs."
Tobin, who also owns and operates a police K-9 camp, does personal dog training and police dog training, running 32 canine units in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
"I searched the kennels in the area and (Brown) has a decent history with the German blood line and her paperwork was in line," Tobin said.
When it comes to a residential dog, Brown's kennel was a "very good choice," said Tobin, who brings in German shepherds from Europe for police work.
The vice president-elect wanted a family dog that was social and obedient, said Tobin, who will pick up the puppy next week and start on six weeks of initial training including housebreaking.
Tobin will deliver the puppy to the Bidens after the inauguration in January. That way, he said, the stress of the move to Washington, D.C., will be over for the family, and the dog - who will be trained - will have an easier transition.
Tobin said he met Biden after Obama named the Delaware senator as his running mate. At that time, security stepped up for Biden and the Secret Service brought in Tobin and his canine team to do sweeps of the Biden residence for explosives.
After that, Tobin said Biden asked for his help selecting a puppy and with its training.
"It is my pleasure to assist," Tobin said.
Originally, Brown said she was to bring two puppies to Biden, but Biden called and said he wanted to see all the dogs.
"He was very gracious," Brown said. "He hugged and kissed all of the shepherds."
His visit was preceded by seven big black sport utility vehicles with Secret Service agents along with a car with Biden's brother Jim, Jim Biden's wife and son, and finally Joe Biden in another car, Brown reported.
"He's shown German shepherds in the past," Brown said of Biden.
Biden's granddaughters will name the puppy, Brown said the vice president-elect told her.
Brown describes her shepherds as "family dogs" and very good with children.
Brown did not want to discuss the purchase price of the puppy or how many dogs she has at her facility except to say, "too many."
Brown's grandson, Cameron Mascia, and his father, Philip Mascia, were on hand to meet the vice president-elect. "He's such a cool guy, a regular guy," Philip Mascia said. "He asked me if there was a diner around here. I told them to follow me."
Mascia said he took them to the Limerick Diner and went inside to join them for dinner.
Being followed by a caravan of Secret Service SUVs, that was an experience, said Mascia.
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