Giant Dog Mauls Home Depot Customer's Face, Resulting in Surgery

A Colorado woman suffered facial injuries requiring surgery when a large dog attacked her in a Home Depot store on March 31, after which the dog's two handlers left while she was getting emergency treatment. A tip led Jefferson County sheriff's deputies to identify the two women who were training the dog at the time of the attack in Evergreen, Colorado. The dog is in isolation, and authorities are considering charges against the women. Here's what you need to know about this vicious attack.

Who Got Bit?

The unidentified victim was shopping in the Home Depot when she saw the dog and its handlers. She suffered serious injuries that require facial surgery, officials said. The victim wants to press charges against the dog's handlers, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.

Whose Dog Was It?

Officials have not named the two dog handlers who left the scene of the attack. The sheriff's office identified the dog handlers last week. The dog owners told investigators they took the animal to the store as part of its training regime.

What Happened

The victim saw the dog and its handlers and asked if she could pet the animal. The owners advised her to give the dog a treat first as part of its training, said Jennifer Dow, an animal control supervisor for Jefferson County. "The dog sat nicely, took the treat gently from her and then all of a sudden lunged at her face," Dow said. The dog bit the woman's face, the sheriff's office said. "While Home Depot employees were tending to the dog bite victim, the women exited the store with the dog," it added.

What Happened Next

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office posted an image of the dog's handlers from the store's video surveillance footage on Facebook, leading an unidentified person to send in a tip. "Your dog is basically your property, your pet," Dow said. "Dogs are unpredictable, no matter how well-trained they are. You never know."

"The owner would be held accountable for restitution or in the event of any enforcement action," the sheriff's office said. "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." The dog's handlers dispute that the Great Dane bit the victim and said it simply butted her in the head. "It's unclear right now, whether it was a head butt, basically, or a bite," Dow said. "We're still waiting for more reports from the doctor's office."

Officials are considering charges against the two dog handlers, including dog fighting off premises under owner control, harboring a vicious dog or dog bite off premises under owner control.