STATENVILLE — A carefree Saturday at play with friends turned into a nightmare for 6-year-old Dalton Short, as a neighbor’s dog suddenly tore into his face, leaving 30 stitches and the likely need for plastic surgery.

As Dalton’s single mother struggles to meet the costs, having just started a new job with insurance benefits not yet available, she also questions why officials can do nothing to ensure the incident won’t repeat itself.

“What I don’t agree with is that animal control does not get involved,” said Dawn Short. Children are often at or near the neighbor’s house with the dog, she said.

Echols County has no ordinances that provide consequences for the owners of dogs involved in incidents like this. As a result, nothing has been done to quarantine the dog or cite the owners.

“It’s tried snapping at him through the fence before,” said Short. “Most people out here would put the dog down if they bit a child like that.”