A 9-year-old boy remains hospitalized after the family's pit bull attacked him Tuesday morning.

According to Newton County Sheriff's Lt. Keith Crum, the child's mother was in the home in a different room when she heard her son scream. She ran to him and found him covered in blood and being attacked by the dog. After striking the animal and getting it away from the child, she put the boy in the car and called 911.

The child was airlifted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston where he remains. He suffered bites to his head, face, neck, arms, chest and stomach. Crum called the attack "pretty severe."

When deputies and animal control officials went to the door of the home, the dog was aggressive, showing its teeth and growling. The dog was tranquilized in order for animal control officers to transport it.

Crum said that the dog is kept inside the home and is a family pet. The boy had been playing with the dog just before the attack, and had not provoked it. There is no history of calls to the home regarding the dog.