WARNING: Pictures at the bottom of this story are graphic.
COLORADO SPRINGS – A woman has three major injuries after a dog attacked her while she was out on a bike ride at North Cheyenne Canon Park.
The victim, Janet Miller, said while she was lying on the ground bleeding the owners just took off and she’s hoping to find them somehow. Miller is worried she could have rabies. She doesn’t know anything about the dog. Her right leg was seriously injured in a matter of seconds.
“It’s like am I going to die right here or what? It was terrifying.”
It was last Friday when Miller and her husband were mountain biking in the park. It was a beautiful day that quickly became a nightmare.
“There was a couple coming down with dogs and they were kind of off the side of the trail…they were some type of a doodle dog, Labradoodle, maybe about 50 pounds, 40 to 50 pounds, white wiry hair, kind of an off white…they were straining the dogs pretty tightly…I didn’t feel very comfortable riding by.”
Miller said she told the couple to go first, but one of their dogs escaped from the grip of his owner.
“It was in one blink of an eye and just chewed up my whole leg, just totally tore me up, attacked me, mauled me. It was awful.”
The owners did get control of the dog and reacted in a way that shocked Miller.
‘”He said “I told you he would bite your bike.”‘
Miller said the couple then walked away.
‘”My husband went back down the trail to find them…find out who they were…he said “my wife is seriously injured and the guy said “sorry” and they took off through the woods.”‘
Miller is dealing with multiple wounds that were to the bone. As she recovers she’s asking the community to step up.
“Help me find them so I can find out if they’ve got proof of rabies shots.”
Here are Miller’s descriptions of the owners of the dog:
- Caucasian male
- Height: 6’2” to 6’4”
- Slim, athletic build
- Light brown, grayish hair in a ponytail
- Caucasian female
- Height: 5’6” or 5’7”
- Dark hair
If you are bitten by a dog or another animal, here’s what UCHealth Urgent Care recommends:
- Wash the wound out with as much water as you possibly can and use soap if it’s available. Stay away from alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.
- Go to Urgent Care or the emergency room depending on the severity of the wound.
- Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date.
- Keep an eye on the wound so it doesn’t get infected.
El Paso County Public Health said if you are bitten by an animal you don’t know you are expected to report it through its Bite Report System. CLICK HERE to access it.
