Woman requires surgery after dog attacks her when she tried giving it a treat at Home Depot
EVERGREEN, COLORADO: A woman was left severely injured and required facial surgery after she was attacked by a dog while giving him a treat at a Home Depot in Evergreen. The incident took place on March 31 when the victim was visiting the Home Depot in the 1000 block of Rancho Road in Evergreen, about 25 miles west of Denver.
At the shopping center, the victim was approached by the dog's owner and trainer, who asked her to give the dog a treat as part of its training. The customer immediately agreed and tried to treat the canine when it bit her face. “The customer agreed and gave the dog the treat, and then the dog bit the customer in the face. The victim sustained serious injuries and requires facial surgery as a result of the bite,” authorities said, according to Laws & Crime.
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'The owner would be held accountable for restitution'
While Home Depot employees and customers attempted to help the wounded woman, authorities said the two dog owners took their dog and left without leaving any contact information. However, the two were recorded on the store's surveillance camera. As reported by Fox News Digital, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shared security images on Thursday in an effort to identify the lady. The two suspects were located later that night.
Authorities addressed how they handle cases of dog bites and stated that dog owners are liable for the activities of their dogs. "The owner would be held accountable for restitution or in the event of any enforcement action," the sheriff's office explained on Facebook. "For dog bites, the dog is quarantined at their home for 10 days, to ensure the dog is not exhibiting any behaviors associated with rabies." No charges have been announced yet as the dog owner is now claiming that the victim was not bitten but headbutted by the animal instead.
'Whether it was a headbutt, basically, or a bite'
"It's unclear right now, whether it was a headbutt, basically, or a bite. We're still waiting for more reports from the doctor's office," said Jennifer Dow, Animal Control Supervisor for Jefferson County, according to Denver 7. She noted that the two suspects can be charged with dog bite off-premises under owner control, which is a misdemeanor, or they could face charges for harboring a vicious dog. "We don't have any ordinances like that, unfortunately, like a hit-and-run type of thing. But it would have been the responsible thing to stay and make sure she was OK and give her all the information because she clearly needed to seek medical care," added Dow.