LITTLE EGG HARBOR — An act of kindness toward a pit bull backfired when it attacked a 4-year-old boy, police said.

The lost dog's behavior was not aggressive when family members brought it into their backyard on Lake Winnepesaukee Drive in Little Egg Harbor early Thursday evening, Little Egg Harbor police told NJ.com. But a short time later the dog left the family's 4-year-old child with puncture wounds and scratches after it "went after the boy's face" police said.

The NJ.com story did not address whether the boy and dog were interacting before the incident, or whether any event prompted it. The boy, whose identity was not disclosed, was flown via medical helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, according to police.

Police said they know who the dog belongs to but are holding it pending an investigation.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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