€100 fine after dog bites passer by outside Xlendi restaurant

A man from Nadur has been fined €100 after his dog bit a passer-by outside a restaurant in Xlendi, Gozo.

The court found the 44-year-old guilty of failing to keep the animal under control and negligently allowing it to injure a man walking by.

The incident occurred on 27 May 2023, in front of Diamond Restaurant on Triq Sant’ Andrija.

The victim sustained minor injuries and required treatment at the Victoria health centre before filing a police report. During court proceedings, the dog's owner acknowledged that the six-month-old animal had not been microchipped.

He also claimed the dog had been wearing a muzzle at the time but admitted it was not properly secured, citing hot weather as the reason he had left it partially loose. Presiding magistrate Jean Paul Grech noted that the decision to muzzle the dog in the first place indicated the owner was aware of a potential risk.

The court concluded that the improperly fastened muzzle was a clear act of negligence that directly resulted in the bite. The man also suggested the victim had stepped on the dog, provoking the bite, but the court dismissed this claim as inconsistent with his original police statement.

Although an Animal Welfare official confirmed the dog was not officially registered, the court found there was insufficient evidence to uphold a separate charge under the Dogs Act.

The man was acquitted on that count.

Considering the limited injuries and the absence of a pattern of aggressive behaviour, the court opted not to issue an order for the dog to be euthanised.