Nearly four years after being torn apart in a vicious Rottweiler attack, Canterbury resident Lynne Denning is still fighting to prevent dog attacks, though it’s been an uphill battle with little to no traction on the state or federal level.

“But I’m not giving up,” she said. “As discouraged as I get, I only have to read an account of a kid being attacked or killed and it sparks me right back up.”

On Dec. 3, 2014, Denning, then a home health aide working in a Plainfield home, was mauled by dogs belonging to resident Jenna Allen. She said the dogs lunged at her face before tearing at her torso and extremities.

During the attack, Denning had her upper right cheek, parts of both lips, left eyelid and her entire nose torn away. She also had numerous cuts and bites on her breasts, shoulder, arms and legs, requiring extensive and numerous reconstructive surgeries that led to medical bills topping $400,000.

Allen was eventually convicted at trial of first-degree reckless endangerment – a misdemeanor - and served a 60-day sentence. Two dogs implicated in the attack were euthanized.

Since the attack, Denning, 60, has been a consistent and outspoken advocate for overhauling state laws in an effort to prevent dog attacks before they happen. But that mission has yielded few results.

In March, Denning testified before members of the state Environment Committee in support of proposed House Bill 5367, which sought to convene a working group “to examine the prevalence of vicious dog attacks in the state and develop recommendations for how to reduce the number of such attacks and how to mitigate the effects of disposal orders for such attacking animals on municipalities and the state.”

Denning used blunt language in an effort to convince committee members to support the act.

“I just want you to know I almost died,” she said, according to video transcripts of the testimony. “I’ve been through so much in three years and this is my reality for the rest of my life,” she said, pointing to her face. “And anyone who can endure losing a child to something so horrific ... this has got to change. And I don’t mean years from now, because this happens on a daily basis all over this country. This is ridiculous.”

Denning said that proposal missed the point.

“It was more concerned with what happens after someone is attacked, not preventing them in the first place,” she said.

Late last month, Denning used the “We the People” government website to start a online petition with the goal of meeting with President Donald Trump about her concerns.

“We needed 100,000 signatures by Wednesday, but only have just over 200, so that’s probably not going to happen,” Denning said. “I’ve also written several letters, with horrible pictures of dog attack victims – some of myself – and sent them to the president.”

Denning said she wants specific changes made to how people adopt dogs with a propensity for aggressiveness and how those animals are kept in homes.

“These pit bull mixes and other animals, advertised as ‘Labrador-mixes,’ are put through the rescues animal adoption pipeline and people have no idea what they’re getting,” she said. “There needs to be better oversight on that end. Those agencies outright lie about how a dog is rehabilitated and no one is checking on their claims.”

Denning said people who end up adopting such animals need to take precautions.

“They need to be on lockdown, with fences in place and muzzles when they’re out in public,” she said. “It’s not just people, but other pets that are being killed.”

Denning admits her stance is tough.

“Too bad,” she said. “If it was a person we’re talking about with these tendencies, they’d be in jail, not walking around a neighborhood free.”