Authorities say a 14-year-old boy is dead and suspect that he was killed by the family dog.

Deputies with the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office conducting a welfare check found the boy lying dead in the yard of a home near Battle Lake, Minn., about 3 p.m. Thursday.

They also found a Polish long-haired shepherd that was "extremely aggressive," according to an incident report released by the Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said they believe the family dog attacked the boy, and at the request of the owner and for public safety "put the dog down," the report said.

The three-year-old dog was bought from Poland six months ago, the Sheriff's Office said.

The boy, whose name has not been released, had been missing for roughly three hours before he was found in a fenced area outside the home in the 30800 block of Twin Lakes Road, according to emergency dispatch audio.

The Sheriff's Office and Otter Tail County Coroner's Office are investigating. The dog's body was taken to North Dakota State University for a necropsy.

Staff writer Paul Walsh contributed to this report.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768