A short cellphone video of a routine vet visit in Colorado Springs is now at the center of a licensing fight, a cease-and-desist order, and a whole lot of uncomfortable questions about who is allowed to treat a police dog.
The clip, released by the Regional Transportation District after a public records request, appears to show an RTD Police Department K-9 named Milo biting a woman identified as Jena Stiles on the forearm during what was supposed to be a standard exam for an ear infection. State regulators say Stiles was not legally allowed to practice veterinary medicine and have ordered her to stop.
RTD officials say they turned over and then publicly released the video as part of that request, and that staff believed Milo was being seen by a licensed veterinarian. According to KDVR, agency records documenting the incident were already on file before the footage became public.
What the video shows
The short recording captures Milo and his handler in an exam setting while Stiles appears to be working around the dog. In the middle of the visit, Milo lunges and bites her forearm, and Stiles reacts right away. The visible injury is brief, but it is clear enough to have sparked a regulatory firestorm.
In an email to reporters, Stiles said she "never represented myself as a veterinarian to RTD or others involved." Earlier this month, after completing its investigation, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies issued a cease-and-desist order accusing her of practicing veterinary medicine without a license, a decision she is now appealing, KDVR reported.
Milo and RTD's K-9 program
Milo is part of RTD's K-9 unit, a familiar sight on trains and at transit stations where the dogs are used to help detect potential threats and support officers in the field. The agency describes Milo as a working dog trained for busy public environments, with handlers who prepare him for crowds, noise, and tight spaces. His specific role and background are detailed in the agency's public profile for the dog, according to RTD.
Regulatory and legal angle
Colorado law allows state regulators to issue cease-and-desist orders when they believe someone is practicing a licensed profession without proper credentials. Those orders can be followed by disciplinary hearings, fines, or other penalties, and there is a formal process for appealing them laid out in the state code, as outlined in the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Stiles says she is challenging the Department of Regulatory Agencies' findings through that appeals process. RTD, for its part, says it released the video in the interest of transparency while the licensing dispute plays out at the state level.
The footage and the regulatory case have stirred debate among handlers, veterinary professionals, and observers over how police and working dogs should receive medical care and who, exactly, is qualified to provide it, especially when a bite caught on camera becomes Exhibit A.
