Dog owner charged after Great Dane reportedly attacks woman inside Colorado Home Depot

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - One of the owners of a Great Dane accused of biting a woman inside a Colorado store could potentially face jail time.

Sister station CBS Denver reports that William Lockler is facing misdemeanor charges for the March 31 episode, which happened at Home Depot in Evergreen. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, a couple was asking strangers in the store to help “train” their dog, and when one woman approached, the dog attacked.

“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,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post about the incident.

Law enforcement said the couple slipped out of the store with the dog while employees tended to the customer. The victim’s injuries were severe enough to require surgery.

The sheriff’s office asked the public’s help finding the owners.

“We ... would like to clarify that dog owners are responsible for their pets’ actions. The owner would be held accountable for restitution or in the event of any enforcement action.”

Initially, the sheriff’s office said it was looking for the woman seen in surveillance photos with the dog. Monday, CBS Denver reported it was actually the woman’s husband who was facing charges, because he was holding the leash at the time.

“The male dog owner said he asked the victim how she was and the victim said she was okay, but the victim doesn’t recall being asked that ... I guess she was holding her nose and bleeding from the face,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson told CBS Denver.

One of the charges Lockler is facing, dog biting under owner’s control, off of the owner’s premises, carries a fine of several hundred dollars or even a few months in jail.

As for the dog, the sheriff’s office said it would be quarantined at their home for 10 days, to ensure the dog is not exhibiting any behaviors associated with rabies.

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