Speaking publicly for the first time since she was bitten by a dog during a live news show two weeks ago, Denver anchor Kyle Dyer said the bite was an accident.
“I’m glad the dog’s back home with his family,” Dyer said in a CNN interview today.
“I never wanted anything but [that]. It was an accident. It just kind of all snowballed and perfect-stormed into the bite and then all this that followed.”
The incident occurred on the morning of Feb. 7, less than 24 hours after Max, an 85-pound Argentinian Mastiff (aka Dogo Argentino), had been rescued after falling through ice in a reservoir.
As Max, his dog dad, Michael Robinson, and Tyler Sugaski, the firefighter who rescued him, appeared together on a live 9NEWS show, Dyer patted the dog’s head for a few minutes and then put her face close to his.
At that point, Max bit her.
Dyer was rushed to Denver Health Medical Center, while Max was taken to Denver Animal Control.
Max bit off Dyer’s upper lip, requiring reconstructive surgery. “It could have been worse,” Dyer told CNN. “I mean, it was bad, but just think, it could have been my cheek or nose or eye – or throat.”
In an interview published yesterday in the Denver Post, Dyer said she did not feel bitter, angry or sad. “It was a fluke, it happened,” she said. “Not once was I afraid or scared. Yeah, it hurt, but having a baby hurt more.”
She told both CNN and the Denver Post she was extremely touched by the outpouring of get-well wishes and encouragement.
Animal behavior experts said Dyer should not have put her face so close to that of a strange dog, especially one that was likely still traumatized after nearly drowning the day before.
When asked by the Denver Post if she was too close to Max’s face, Dyer replied, “I guess I was. We’ve all learned a lot in the past two weeks.”
After he bit Dyer, Max was quarantined for 10 days, which is Denver Animal Control’s policy for any dog or cat that bites someone and breaks the skin. Since he had no prior biting incidents, Max was allowed to go home on Feb. 18.
“I’m doing better, the dog’s with his family – it’s time to move on,” Dyer told CNN.
PHOTO: por diaz de vivar gustavo