PAW PAW — A 10-year-old Paw Paw boy was in critical condition Saturday after he was attacked by a pit bull.

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Department said the boy received numerous wounds from the 2-year-old dog, a family pet named Torco. The bite punctures to his right arm were so severe that the arm had to be amputated, authorities said.

The boy was home alone while his parents were visiting in Indiana when an older brother returned and found the dog still attacking him, officers said. The brother immediately took the boy to Lakeview Community Hospital in Paw Paw, where he was stabilized and then rushed to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo.

Animal Control officers took the pit bull to the Van Buren County shelter facility in Hartford, where the still-aggressive animal was euthanized by staff, the Sheriff's Department said.

Authorities said they still don't know why the animal attacked the boy and continue their investigation.