Authorities say one of two surviving pit bulls involved in a child attack was euthanized, while the other was released today.

Onslow County Sheriff Hans Miller says the eight-year-old boy remains hospitalized after he was attacked by his families three dogs.

One dog was shot dead by deputies, and the other wounded as they tried to stop the attack.

A county spokesman would not say exactly who picked up the dog, or where it was now.

Miller says the attack happened around noon Tuesday at a mobile home park off Andrea Avenue, in the Southwest area of Onslow County.

The sheriff says the boy was airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. The child has injuries to his upper torso, neck and ear.

The sheriff says the child's parents were not at home, arriving during the attack.

Neighbors say they saw the boy walk out of the home and the dogs attacked him.

Miller says they are investigating whether to charge the child's parents with neglect charges since there were no adults home at the time.

This comes three months after another Onslow County eight-year-old was seriously attacked by a neighbor's pit bull about five miles away in Verona.