A rescued dog, which attacked 9News' anchor Kyle Dyer during the live broadcast of an in-studio segment, is being observed by Denver animal control.
- Feb 10, 2012
AceShowbiz - Kyle Dyer, an anchor for the morning and noon broadcasts of Denver's NBC affiliate 9News, is recovering after a dog bit her in the lip during a live broadcast of a news program on Wednesday, February 8. She has undergone a successful reconstructive surgery and has been released from a Denver hospital hospital on Thursday.
In the segment that went awry, Dyer was interviewing the dog's owner and rescuer about its rescue from a frozen reservoir. When she leaned toward the Argentine mastiff dog called Gladiator Maximus, it turned its head and attacked her.
Patti Dennis, the network's vice president of news, stated, "Kyle says she wants everyone to know she is OK and is concerned about the viewers who were watching the incident live on TV." Footage capturing the incident has since hit the web, but 9News has asked websites which put it online to take it down.
The rescued dog, Max, was later taken to a Denver animal shelter where it is under a 10-day evaluation, but it will be released to his owner if it shows no further irregular behavior. The owner Michael Robinson, meanwhile, has been cited for Denver Animal Control for not having the dog on a leash, although he held the dog's collar during the interview.
Several animal experts, however, said it wasn't all the dog's or the owner's fault. Colleen Safford, a prominent New York-based dog trainer, explained that dogs talk with their body and "this dog was repeatedly 'telling' the anchor that she was making him uncomfortable and if she didn't stop, he would bite."
In a similar statement, Ron Berman, a canine behavior specialist, claimed, "Basically, she [Dyer] did everything wrong." He added, "She went up to a dog she didn't know - who didn't know her - and she either tried to kiss him or hug him or put her face too close to his face. He felt threatened and bit her."
