"The dog sat nicely, took the treat gently from her, and then all of a sudden lunged at her face," an official said.
A woman is recovering after a dog attack inside a Home Depot in Evergreen. She now requires surgery after the animal attacked her when she tried giving it a treat at Home Depot on March 31. According to Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, "The dog owners asked the customer to give the dog a treat, explaining to the customer that they were training the dog. The customer agreed and gave the dog the treat, and then the dog bit the customer in the face." While Home Depot employees and customers attempted to help the wounded woman, authorities said the two dog owners took their dog and exited the store. "The victim sustained serious injuries and requires facial surgery as a result of the bite," they added in the Facebook post.
Denver 7 reports the woman went up to the dog and its owners and asked if she could pet it according to Animal Control officials. Jennifer Dow, Animal Control Supervisor for Jefferson County, said the owners asked her to first give the animal a treat as part of its training. "The dog sat nicely, took the treat gently from her, and then all of a sudden lunged at her face," said Dow. Officials were eventually able to track the owners who were cooperating but they said it was not a dog bite but a headbutt. "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 Dow at the time. Authorities explained how they handle cases of dog bites and stated that dog owners are responsible for the actions of their dogs.
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The owners could be charged with dog bite off-premises under owner control, which is a misdemeanor. They could also face charges for harboring a vicious dog, which is a petty offense. As for fleeing the scene, Dow explained, "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."
The dog was put into quarantine for rabies at the dog's home, per CBS News. "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 has claimed that the victim was not bitten but headbutted by the animal instead.
If you have information that might be helpful to authorities in their investigation you are requested to contact Jefferson County Animal Control at 303-271-5070.
References:
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/dog-bites-customer-face-home-depot-evergreen-jefferson-county/
Cover Image Source: YouTube | CBS Colorado
