Four animals attacked people in El Paso County in less than a week. Two of the four incidents involved Colorado Springs Police Officers, one involved a child and the other, a teenage boy.

On Wednesday, a five year old boy, playing in his own backyard, is bit in the face by a pit bull in El Paso County. The boy is recovering at a Denver hospital with at least 2,000 stitches.

On Friday night, a Colorado Springs police officer shoots a pit bull at the Vineyard Apartments near Woodmen Rd. and Rangewood Dr. Officer Mark Daly says two pit bulls lunged at him.

On Saturday afternoon, another officer is attacked on Prospect St. near Platte Ave. This time, he's wounded. Officer Carlos Montelongo was bit in the behind. He didn't bleed but he did suffer from some bruising.

Police say, anytime they feel they're about to be attacked by an animal, they are allowed to use lethal force.

But in Officer Montelongo's case, he didn't see the animal coming.

The dog that bit him was a 100 pound brown and white dog. It was not a pit bull or pit bull mix.

"It's just another danger we have to deal with," said Officer Erwin Paladino, with the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Officers and a medical crew were responding to a call on Prospect Street. "A man was face down bleeding and throwing up blood," said Officer Paladino.

Police say the patient refused to go to the hospital and when Officer Montelongo tried to get him to go, "The dog came up and bit him right on the behind," said Officer Paladino.

The patient's dog will remain at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region for now. His owner was charged with having a violent animal.

The incident at the Vineyard Apartments on Friday night, left a pit bull shot and an officer shaken up.

"There were a lot of young people at the pool and then we saw some cops show up," said Marty Kulick, who is a resident at the Vineyard Apartments.

According to the police report, someone called the police and told them the people at the pool were disturbing the peace. But police had no idea there were dogs there.

"It sounded like an m-80 or something. It was a really loud fire work. At least that's what we thought it was," said Kulick.

But it wasn't a fire cracker, it was a single gun shot from an officer who said two pit bulls charged at him. He fired once striking one of the pit bulls.

"He was just yelling, you could hear him just yelling at the people in the pool area," said Logan Pounders, a resident at the Vineyard Apartments.

11 News spoke with the owner of the dog that was shot, he says Bam was hit in the mouth area but will be okay. He also said that Bam is a very gentle dog and did not deserve to be shot.

Both owners of the pit bulls were charged with having violent animals.

Then on Saturday night, another report of a dog bite was reported. This one happened on Hollyridge Dr. near the Hancock Expressway. It involved three pit bulls and a teen.

Authorities say the three pit bulls were fighting and the teen may have gotten in the way. They say the teen is expected to be just fine.