ST. PAUL — The city of St. Paul’s response to a lawsuit by a woman who says she was repeatedly bitten by a police dog has been made public.

The city attorney says St. Paul is not at fault. The city’s response was made public Monday even though it responded to the plaintiff, Karen Shafer, nearly a year ago. Shafer served the lawsuit on the city last year, but officially filed in in court recently.

Shafer was at her backyard fence in July 2013 to observe a nearby car crash of a suspected thief when a police dog ran up to her and repeatedly bit her. Shafer says she had 17 stitches and missed two months of work. She wants damages in excess of $50,000.