'I Was Terrified': Commerce City Couple Recount Dog Attack, Warn It's Not The First In The Area
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - A couple in Commerce City are recovering after being attacked by two dogs last week. This isn't the first incident, as Adams County Management confirms the dogs have attacked before.
"He came at me and he knocked me down into the rocks and I just felt him bite," explained Cristina Anderson, the woman attacked. "It was just crazy."
Anderson told CBS4 she and her boyfriend were heading out to walk to the store when the attack happened. She says the two dogs were living in her neighbor's RV, and when she passed by it, the door was open and the dogs went after her.
"The one was biting me on my thigh and I just felt his teeth sink in," she explained.
A second dog grabbed her lower leg. That's when her boyfriend stepped in to help, and the dog bit his thigh in nearly the same place it bit Anderson.
"I was terrified," she said. "I was just terrified. It was traumatizing."
Adams County Animal Management said this isn't the first time this pair of dogs have attacked. On November 28th, the dogs bit a man and were placed on a 10-day in-home quarantine. Six days after being released, the dogs bit another person. AMO took both dogs again, this time into shelter quarantine for 10 days.
Officials say because the first two victims did not press charges, they could not remove the dogs from the home.
However, on Jan. 2, just days after the dogs were home from their second quarantine, they attacked Anderson and her boyfriend.
"The owners, they didn't even ask if we were okay or anything," Anderson said. "Just threw the dogs in the truck and took off. And they've been gone since."
Adams County Animal Management said they met with one of the dog owners the next day and were told that the boyfriend had taken the dogs and the owner didn't know where they were.
CBS4 spoke with the dog owner's father, who said he wants the boyfriend to turn the dogs in.
"They're good dogs they just turned vicious," Alan Haigle said. "And Chase if you're listening, you got to give them back, I'm sick of this. Do the right thing."
AMO said the dog owner has been cited for two counts of owning a dangerous dog and two citations for interference of an officer. They are looking for the dogs.
"They're going to hurt someone else again," Anderson said.
She added that she does not have insurance and is paying for her medical bills out of pocket. Her son also wants to move her out of what he calls a "dangerous home" since the dogs have not been found. To help out, they have started a GoFundMe page.
