Father Upset With Animal Control After Son Is Attacked
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Animal Control officers seized a dog accused in an attack that injured an 8-year-old boy in Lakewood.
The attack was in the 7300 block of West Arkansas Street near the boy's home.
The dog was taken to Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden Tuesday evening and it will be held there until the owner appears in court.
Dirk Martinez said he was just playing with a friend.
"I was running across the street, I heard banging, I slowed down, saw the dog running," Martinez said. "I stopped and the dog jumped and attacked me."
Martinez said it was a full-grown German shepherd.
"The dog jumped at me and grabbed the back of my shirt, knocked me down and then started attacking," he said.
"By the time I got up here, there was an older gentleman that had gotten in between the boy and dog," witness Don Shelton said.
Shelton would also get bitten. Witnesses said a neighbor was finally was able to corral the dog. Animal Control said they weren't able to locate the dog or the owner, but Martinez's father said he spoke to the owner, who's out of town, and said his insurance will cover any medical bills.
"My beef isn't with him, it's with how the city handled it," said Dirk Martinez's father, who is also named Dirk Martinez.
He didn't feel like the city was taking the attack seriously.
"Absolutely, Animal Control takes all of these seriously. Animal bites are very serious," Bonnie Martin with Lakewood police said. "We need to find out exactly who the owner is of this dog. The dog needs to be identified as the same dog."
"If somebody was walking their dog down the street and I kicked the dog, I'm sitting in County while they investigate," the elder Martinez said. "I don't get to sit around while they … it's like the dog has more rights than my kid."
The owner has now been cited for possession of a dangerous animal, animal running at large, and dog license required.
The dog was picked up around 8 p.m. No court date has been set for the owner.
