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Dog attacks: Father of hurt teen wants answers

Posted at 8:22 PM, May 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-19 23:21:29-04

Chris Kingston was shocked to see his 14-year-old daughter bloody and scratched up while walking home from school.

“She is pretty badly bruised and scratched up, and bitten, you can see the entire mouth of the animal on her thigh,” said Kingston.

The attack happened just a few feet from his home. His daughter was viciously attacked by what she described to police as a brown Great Dane.

Kingston’s daughter wasn’t the only one attacked in the neighborhood.

Their neighbor was attacked and bitten in the hand and knee by two different dogs while checking her mail on Monday. A few moments later, the same dogs even tried to attack a woman walking just a few blocks away, but were controlled with a Taser by responding officers. Right now, there is one humane officer for the City of Littleton and Kingston said that is frustrating, but police say they can't afford more.

“We certainly like to have more, but it's a matter of working within the budget that we have,” said Littleton Police Commander Trent Cooper.

Littleton police say their officers are trained to act as humane officers as well.

But until the vicious dog is found, Kingston is telling his daughter to defend herself.

“What I advise my daughter to do is put one arm around her neck, because that's what dogs go for and carry a mechanical pencil and stab the dog with it," said Kingston.

Police said if you're confronted by a dog, you should not just fight back but protect your body.

“Make sure you protect your face, your throat and your vital areas,” said Cooper.  

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