She suddenly stuck her face right in this poor dog's face... what did she expect would happen? He wasn't attacking her; he was clearly feeling threatened and warning her to stay away, but because she approached so quickly he had no choice but to snap at her. Dogs have lived alongside humans for so long that people often forget that dogs are not like them. For example, dogs read direct eye contact as a challenge and because they lack the ability to speak like humans, they can only bark, growl or snap their teeth to say "No" - which is then read as aggression by us, and the dog gets in trouble for simply trying to defend itself when it's frightened. Of course I hope that Kyle Dyer makes a full recovery quickly, but what happened to her is not the dog's fault.
A veteran news anchor who was rushed to the hospital after a dog that appeared on her morning show bit her in the face on live TV was released this afternoon.
Though Kyle Dyer still cannot talk, she has told friends and colleagues that she is concerned about the viewers who saw her get savagely bitten by the 85-pound Argentine Mastiff who was being highlighted in a morning news segment.
Footage has now emerged which shows the dog desperately splashing around in an icy lake the day before - an ordeal which may partly explain his vicious behaviour in the studio.
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On TV: Kyle Dyer, right, had knelt down to pet Max when he attacked. He is seen here with his owner, Michael Robinson, and the firefighter that rescued him
Attack: In a flash, Max bares his teeth and lashes out at Ms Dyers face. Animal control officers called it a 'pretty major bite.'
Ms Dyer, who had been working at the Denver, Colorado station for over 15 years, had reconstructive surgery Wednesday afternoon following the attack, and was released from the hospital Thursday afternoon.
In order to communicate, she is using tools on her iPad to type out messages to loved ones.
The dog, whose full name is Warrior Maximus, recently survived a harrowing rescue from a freezing pond and was on the show as part of a mini-reunion between him and his rescuers.
A video of Max trying unsuccessfully to find a way out of the pond was released today, and provides some context for the background which led him to lash out the next day.
Struggle: Max the dog was filmed swimming around in an icy pool, unable to escape
Rescue: The dog was recovered thanks to a fireman, leading to his ill-fated appearance on the news
Though immediate reports said that he was not properly vaccinated, the owners of the dog have put out a statement saying that he was up-to-date with all of his shots.
'Max is current in his vaccinations. Max has no history of aggression. Max is a gentle, loving, family dog. Max is well mannered and obedient and he hardly barks,' said the dog's owners The Robinsons in a statement.
'This incident truly is unfortunate and does not reflect Max’s disposition towards people.'
Now, Max has been caged by animal control officers and his owner, Michael Robinson has been fined.
In addition to comments wishing Ms Dyer well, most Facebook respondents left angry messages blaming her for getting too close to the dog.
Bitten: Ms Dyer was rushed to the local hospital in Denver and has been examined by a trauma team to determine how to repair the damage to her face
Fined: Max was locked up for observation because he didn't have rabies shots and his owner was fined by animal control officers
'I totally agree with all those saying it was her own fault and she should have known better,' wrote Cassandra Hughes Kramer.
'The dog was being a dog, defending itself in a stressful situation. He didn't jump on her and maul her, he nipped her lip....and she shouldn't have been trying to kiss him. Maybe it's a hard lesson to learn, but hopefully she learned it.'
A number of viewers also expressed concern that the dog would be euthanized as a result of the incident, which was something they appeared angry about.
'It was clearly human fault. Why should the animal be blamed for both the owner an kyle's mistake?
Hope he isn't put down, it would be a crime,' wrote Bruno Naletto.
Hope he isn't put down, it would be a crime,' wrote Bruno Naletto.
Treatment: Ms Dyer is now recovering after surgery Wednesday afternoon at Denver Health Medical Center
Part of the team: Ms Dyer (left) has been working for the station for over 15 years, many of which she has co-anchored with Gary Shapiro (right)
'Kyle was glad she got assigned to it, because she loves animals,' Mr Shapiro said
A BANNED BREED
Argentine mastiffs, also known as the Argentine Dogo, are known as big-game hunters and historically have gone after wild boars and pumas. While they are now used as pets, they were bred from a rather violent group of dogs.
Because of the dogs' violent nature, several areas have banned the breed, including Aurora, Colorado.
Aurora is the neighbouring city to Denver, where the broadcast took place.
The animal is also banned in New York City public housing, and laws in the UK allow police to take the dogs away from their owners and prosecute them.
Brendan Flynn echoed that sentiment, writing: 'Lord knows 9News will hear from all of us and alot more if Max is put down.'
Unless the dog has rabies - which it is not showing signs of - it will not be put down.
Even if the vaccinations are current, the owners will definitely face two charges from Denver Animal Care and Control: a penalty for having the dog bite someone and a second penalty for having the dog off its leash at the time.
'While we normally walk Max on-leash, we understand that by letting him off-leash in an open area away from anyone was still a mistake. We will never walk him off-leash in public areas after this,' the Robinsons said in their statement.
Max was brought into the studio after the station's news chopper captured video footage of a firefighter rescuing Max from a freezing pond Monday after he fell through the ice and couldn't make it out.
'I know that she is a great journalist who loves happy stories - this was a happy story,' her co-anchor Gary Shapiro said in a note to fans.
'Kyle was glad she got assigned to it, because she loves animals,' Mr Shapiro said.
Though she is out of the hospital, her recovery is just beginning. Ms Dyer, who is married and has children, is expected to take several weeks to return to work.
'She's doing well, and will make a recovery, and we're all thinking about her and her family,' said 9News vice president Patti Dennis.
'Kyle- of all people!- is the biggest dog lover and even yesterday we were talking about how, as dog lovers, we think every dog belongs to us.
'Kyle will be back in a period of weeks- probably several but she will be back.'
Warning: Graphic content
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