A female dog owner and her dog’s trainer were together inside a Home Depot when they approached a stranger and asked him to give their dog a treat as part of its “training.” The stranger, who is an unidentified male, agreed to help the women “train” their dog.
The incident took place inside a Home Depot store in Evergreen, Colorado, in Jefferson County on March 31.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene after the unusual request for a stranger to feed a treat to the women’s large Great Dane dog went terribly wrong.
Surveillance cameras captured the entire exchange, including the horrifying moment the kind stranger was bitten in the face by the Great Dane.
After the violent incident occurred, the two women didn’t stick around to offer assistance to the kind stranger, but instead, were seen running away from the scene and exiting the store on the Home Depot’s surveillance cameras. The Home Depot staff helped the victim with his wound.
After the surveillance cameras helped to identify the women, the Sheriffs spoke with the women, who claimed the dog never bit the stranger but head-butted him instead.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Unit supervisor, Jennifer Dow, told CBS reporters, “The dog sat nicely, took the treat gently from her, and then all of a sudden lunged at her face, causing injuries to her.”
She also clarified the condition of the stranger, whose face was bleeding and was taken to urgent care.
According to the Daily Mail– Authorities have confirmed that the victim sustained “serious’ injuries and will need facial surgery.”
The dog’s owner was apprehended on Thursday, with the sheriff’s office confirming that the canine is usually quarantined in similar cases.
In a statement, the sheriff’s department said: “The owner would be held accountable for restitution or in the event of any enforcement action.”
“For dog bites, the dog is quarantined at their home for ten days to ensure the dog is not exhibiting any behaviors associated with rabies.”
However, the victim wants to press charges, with officers lodging two pending charges that include dog fighting off-premises under owner control or harboring a vicious dog.
Jefferson County Animal Control is asking for any witnesses to call: 303-271-5070.
