A vicious dog attack that left a three-year-old girl with severe head injuries has sparked urgent public calls for accountability in the Bahamas, as the country’s top agriculture official pressed the animal’s owner to turn themselves in to law enforcement immediately. Three-year-old Skyla Lightbourne was mauled by a mixed Belgian Malinois-German Shepherd on Ida Street last Wednesday, an attack that required emergency surgery and left the young child permanently traumatized, according to her family. In a press briefing on Monday, Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell told reporters that investigators have already confirmed the owner’s identity, and criminal charges are expected to be filed once the suspect is taken into custody.
Campbell emphasized that the owner’s continued delay in surrendering only worsens the harm already done to the victim and the broader local community, which has been shaken by the violent incident. “The circumstances speak for themselves,” Campbell said, adding that the country’s Animal Control Unit responded to the scene immediately after the attack, even staying with Skyla at the hospital while she prepared for surgery. After the procedure, officers returned to check on the family, bringing toys for the injured toddler to help lift her spirits. Skyla was officially discharged from the hospital on Friday, though the psychological impact of the attack continues to affect her and her family.
The victim’s mother, 36-year-old Bentika Lightbourne, has alleged that the dog displayed aggressive behavior long before this mauling. She told local outlet The Tribune that she fought the large animal off her daughter with her bare hands while holding Skyla during the attack, and that the same dog bit her cousin roughly two weeks prior to the September incident. Lightbourne added that she reported the earlier biting incident to police and requested charges at that time, warning that the dog posed a clear danger to the public.
When asked about widespread local claims that the owner is a serving member of the Bahamian armed forces, Campbell declined to confirm the speculation, but expressed full confidence in the investigative work of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. “I have the utmost trust in the Royal Bahamas Police Force,” he said, adding that officials expect the suspect to be taken into custody “in the very near future.” Campbell also noted that the dog appeared to have received professional training, a factor that directly contributed to the unusual severity of the attack on the toddler. Animal Control has already taken full custody of the animal following the incident.
Notably, the attack occurred during the Bahamian government’s annual September dog amnesty, part of its Mission Pawssible initiative. The program offers free dog registration for owners and encourages mandatory licensing, microchipping, routine vaccinations, and proper leash and enclosure requirements for pets across the country. Campbell moved quickly to clarify that the amnesty period does not suspend enforcement of existing animal control laws, pushing back against public confusion that owners would face no penalties for violations during the amnesty window.
“We don’t want the public to think that the amnesty period means that enforcement is not taking place,” he said. As evidence of ongoing enforcement, the minister shared that Animal Control issued roughly $2,000 in citations just on Friday, and that 15 owners had already come in to register their dogs by the time he left his office yesterday morning. Current fixed penalties for animal control violations range from $50 to $1,000, including a $250 fine for unlicensed or unrestrained roaming dogs, and a $500 penalty for keeping a dangerous dog off its leash or out of proper control in a public area.