SIDON, Lebanon: A dog roaming the Corniche of the coastal city of Sidon for nearly an hour frightened bystanders early Thursday morning before a policeman subdued the animal and took it away.

The two-year old Belgian Shepherd escaped the premises of a transportation company where it was being temporarily held and fled. It ended up on the Corniche, barking and scaring Sidon residents who immediately called the police.

Sidon Municipality Police arrived at the scene and were about to sedate the animal using a stun gun. However, a policeman from the Internal Security Forces who is a longtime pet owner was able to calm the dog without using force and put a chain leash on it.

The policeman handed over the dog to the transportation company’s owner, who vowed to compensate people for any damage caused by the animal.

There was an unconfirmed report that the dog bit a woman before it reached the Corniche but police were not able to verify this information.