A gardener has died after six pit bulls mauled him to death while he was at work.
The man was at his employer’s house in Ruimsig on Wednesday when the dogs attacked him.
He was taken to hospital but succumbed to his wounds a few hours later.
According to the Facebook page for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Roodepoort/Krugersdorp branch, police called to ask for their assistance.
“On arrival our inspectors found a man lying in the garden, surrounded by six pit bulls who were ripping him to pieces,” the post reads.
“Immediately the gate was removed from its track and our inspectors drove onto the property, chasing the dogs off the man with their vehicles sirens and hooters.
“The two SPCA inspectors jumped off their vehicles, grabbed the victim and placed him at the back of their vehicle.
“It still baffles us why people keep packs of untrained power breed dogs.
“This is not the first or the last call that we will receive regarding owners or family members being mauled by their dogs.”
According to the SPCA, the owner of the dogs signed four of the pit bulls over to the institution to be put down, reports The Star.
The branch’s manager, Mandi Cattanach, said the other two dogs belong to someone else and they were investigating the owner.
Police Captain Balan Muthan confirmed the incident and said the gardener had stayed at the property for about three years.
“We do not know the circumstances of the attack but our investigation team have opened an inquest case and are investigating,” he said.