A dog that killed a 7-year-old boy Saturday in Corinna had been in the care of property owner Gary Merchant Jr. for about two months but belonged to his daughter, according to the town’s animal control officer.

Animal Control Officer Charles Gould said Thursday that he had never dealt with the dog, Dakota, before the attack. The adult male pit bull was euthanized at Merchant’s request.

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the attack, which happened around 5:15 p.m. at Merchant’s home on Moody’s Mills Road.

Hunter Bragg of Bangor was killed by the dog while playing in the yard with two other children, Penobscot County Sheriff Troy Morton said.

The boy’s family this week pleaded for privacy as they coped with the tragedy.

Morton on Thursday would not comment on reports that the dog recently had been returned to Merchant after he had owned it previously, or who else owned the dog.

He said, however, that the dog’s history is an important part of the investigation.

“I think knowing where the dog lived and where it had been and its history, those are probably key factors,” Morton said. “We do have some of those answers, but we’re not prepared to release them.”

Gould said he and Morton were scheduled to meet to talk about the case Thursday.

Morton estimated that it will be several weeks before his office will release more information, and it depends on results of the autopsy conducted on the boy by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, and a veterinarian’s report on the dog.

A bite report by the animal control officer, which is standard when a dog attacks a person, has been completed, Gould said. The report includes a summary of the attack, along with other information, such as whether the dog was up to date on shots, Gould said.

Morton would not say Thursday whether the dog was neutered. Corinna Town Manager Serena Bemis-Goodall told the Morning Sentinel on Monday that the dog was not registered with the town.

According to town records, Merchant has seven other dogs on the property.

Authorities are looking into whether there are concerns related to the other dogs Merchant owns, but Morton would not provide details.

Gould said Thursday that he has never been called to the residence for a report of aggression or a behavior concern for any of Merchant’s dogs, including the one involved in the attack.

“Last time I was there, everything was fine,” Gould said. “They’re all licensed. They’re up to date on rabies.”

Hunter Bragg was a student at Downeast Community School in Bangor.

The boy’s father, Jason Bragg, was at the Moody’s Mills Road home Saturday when the attack happened.

The boy’s mother, Jessica McClure, died in 2012 at age 27, according to an obituary in the Bangor Daily News.

Betsy Webb, superintendent of the Bangor school district, told the Morning Sentinel this week that Hunter was “a happy, well-mannered student and his contagious smile brought joy to all.”

She said the Bangor school community was saddened by his loss and offered condolences to his family and friends.

“He was kind, respectful, and often was seen skipping down the hallways,” Webb said. “Hunter enjoyed reading, writing, and his teacher describes him as a hard worker with a mathematical mind.”

She said counseling and support were being provided to the school’s students and staff, and she encouraged parents with questions about how best to discuss the situation with their children to call the school principal or counselor.

Relatives of Hunter Bragg on Monday set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the boy’s funeral expenses. As of Thursday evening, nearly $7,000 of a $10,000 goal had been raised, according to the page.