3-year-old undergoes reconstructive surgery after Marco Island dog bite
Police said a Belgian Malinois bit a 3-year-old girl once in the face; she was airlifted and later underwent reconstructive surgery.
Incident summary
Marco Island Police said a 3-year-old girl asked to pet a Belgian Malinois at her family’s restaurant. After the owner allowed her to pet the dog, it turned and bit her once in the face. She was airlifted to Gulf Coast Medical Center and, according to her family, later underwent reconstructive facial surgery. A later 2026 court report said the owner was arrested on a reckless-disregard dog-owner charge and pleaded not guilty.
Collier County court reporting said a warrant was issued in July 2026 for the dog owner on a dog-owner reckless-disregard charge. The owner was arrested July 23 and filed a written plea of not guilty. BiteDB does not treat the allegation as a conviction.
Video, reporting and source material
BiteDB embeds media only when a source-hosted player is suitable for embedding. News photographs and footage remain with their publishers unless reuse rights are clear.
Primary record used by BiteDB
WBBH/Gulf Coast News, citing Marco Island Police, reported a single facial bite, airlift and reconstructive surgery. A July 2026 follow-up citing court records reported the owner’s arrest on a dog-owner reckless-disregard charge and a written not-guilty plea.
Open original source ↗Additional sources
- Man arrested in connection with November 2025 Marco Island dog bite that injured 3-year-oldLocal television reporting citing Collier County Clerk of Courts and police report · 2026-07-30
Additional corroborating or follow-up source used for chronology, injury, legal-status or official-response details.
Open original source ↗What BiteDB does not infer
Breed is recorded only at the provenance level shown above. Missing injury details, dog history, ownership facts or circumstances remain unknown unless a reliable source establishes them. This record may be updated as police, animal-control, medical, court or follow-up reporting becomes available.