Hamilton’s first ever ticket for interfering with a police animal was issued in the downtown core Thursday when a 14-year-old girl with an air horn spooked a police horse and it ran into traffic, police say.

It happened around 4:40 p.m. when officers from the mounted unit were on patrol around Jackson Square. They were dealing with drunk man when a pedestrian told an officer that a young woman was spraying “wacky streamers” (think silly string) all over the stairway that leads to the roof of Jackson Square.

The girl also had an air horn. When the officers and their horses started approaching her, she started blowing it, police say.

The horse wasn’t originally bothered by the noise, but eventually the girl got behind it and blew the air horn again, and the horse bolted into live traffic, police say. No cars hit the horse.

The girl was arrested on mischief charges, but was released when the property management company at Jackson Square didn’t want to press charges.

The 14-year-old was, however, issued a $250 city bylaw ticket for interfering with a police animal. According to police, this is the first ticket of its kind issued for interfering with a horse.

Hamilton is one of the first cities in the region to implement a unique bylaw that allows police officers to issue a ticket to someone who interferes with police animals like horses and dogs.

While such incidents don't happen often, some rowdy patrons at the entertainment district have thrown water bottles at police horses or tried to startle them, police say.

Officers also have the discretion to issue a non-set fine. If convicted, the person can face a fine of up to $10,000 for first conviction and $25,000 for subsequent convictions.