DENVER - The director of the Denver Animal Shelter believes there is an excellent chance that his office will be able to release the dog that bit 9NEWS anchor Kyle Dyer.
READ THE STATEMENT FROM THE DOG'S OWNER
Max, a three-and-a-half-year-old, 85-pound Argentine Mastiff, is currently on a 10-day hold at the shelter.
"We're just checking where the dog has been to make sure there is no other [bite] history or anything else we need to know about," Doug Kelley said on Thursday.
While his office always has the discretion to put down a dog involved in a bite, it is a practice that is almost never done. When asked if Max would have to be euthanized, Kelley told 9NEWS, "Right now, it appears that Max will be releasable after the 10-day hold."
His office can require dog owners to agree to stipulations at the time of quarantine release.
"For example, there may be a stipulation that an individual - when out in public - that [the dog] be muzzled. There may be a stipulation that it not be out in public," Kelley said.
It's not clear if Max's owner will be asked to agree to any stipulations, but Kelley said on Thursday that he didn't anticipate having to ask for any.
9NEWS Anchor Kyle Dyer was interviewing Max, his owner, and a firefighter, who rescued Max from an icy pond on Tuesday, when she was bitten in the face. Firefighters, paramedics and animal control were immediately called to the station. Kyle was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, where she went through reconstructive surgery for injuries she sustained from the bite. She was released from the hospital Thursday afternoon.
One of Kelley's concerns however is the fact that Max was involved in a bite to the face.
"That's a real concern. You look at those a little differently. You look at every bite individually as far as the investigation is concerned, but we err on the side of safety when the dog bites a face," Kelley said.
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