Owners warned after dog scare

POLICE yesterday reminded the public of the fines for dog owners who left their pets to roam the streets.

The warning came after the injury of a 14-year-old Limassol girl who fell after she was chased by a large, stray dog over the long weekend.

The teenager and a friend were walking along 105 Street in Pano Polemidia at around 6.30pm on Monday when the large, light brown coloured canine approached the two girls.

“It appears the two girls were frightened at the sight of the animal and made a run for it. This prompted the dog to chase them. One of the girls then fell over and was injured. The dog possibly scratched her as well,” a Polemidia officer told the Cyprus Mail.

Reports had initially suggested that the dog had attacked and injured the 14-year-old, but the policeman said they were unfounded.

“The dog didn’t harm her, the fall did. She was taken to hospital where she received first aid and was released,” he added.

Police were yesterday looking for the unknown dog which ran off after chasing the duo.

“We have information that the dog has been seen wandering in the area before so we suspect its owners live there and we are trying to locate them,” he said.

The officer said although the girl had not been endangered in anyway the dog owner would still face charges for leaving his pet unattended and for the animal frightening the child.

“He could face an on the spot fine of £50 or go to court which foresees a fine of up to £500. In this case I think we’ll press charges that go to court,” he added.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.