A Gżira family has turned to Facebook in an attempt to track down a man who walked away after his dog bit a woman in the face last week. 

The 22-year-old woman was on her knees stocking fridges at a store on Triq il-Gżira when the burly man walked in with his dog on a leash last Thursday evening.

As she was about to stand up, the dog lashed out and snapped at her, biting her on the lip. The laceration required 12 stitches. 

"He just asked her if she was OK and then walked out of the shop," the victim's brother told Times of Malta. "My sister was obviously bleeding and rushed outside." According to eyewitnesses, the dog was an American Bully or similar breed. 

Police confirmed that they had received a report of a dog attacking a young woman in Gżira that day at around 9.15pm. A doctor certified the injuries as being grievous and investigations into the case are ongoing, they said.  

Officers have seized CCTV footage from both inside and outside the store and are now looking for the dog owner responsible. 

The above video is taken from an outdoor CCTV camera and shows the man entering and then exiting the store. Camera footage from inside the shop is in the police's hands, the brother said. 

In the meantime, the victim's family has decided to reach out to Malta's Facebook community in an attempt to identity the perpetrator. 

"If anyone recognises this man, we'd appreciate it if they could contact the Msida police station," the brother told Times of Malta. 

Have information which could help solve this case? Get in touch with police by dialling 119.

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