An American Staffordshire terrier and a vulnerable victim have again proven a deadly combination with a 61-year-old Melbourne man the latest person killed by the dog breed.
Leo Biancofiore was mauled to death in his suburban Mill Park home on Wednesday night, with witnesses recounting how his desperate wife Donata, also injured and hospitalised, tried to stop the attack.
Mr Biancofiore regularly used crutches and a wheelchair, neighbours said on Thursday.
American Staffordshire terriers are believed responsible for four fatal dog attacks in Melbourne and NSW this year.
Victims include a 51-year-old man who suffered a medical condition before being attacked. A 72-year-old woman and a man aged 40 were killed in other attacks.
The latest killer, reportedly called Junior, belonged to Mr Biancofiore's son and has now been euthanised.
When police arrived on scene they fired shots to try and prevent the mauling.
Senior Sergeant Glenn Parker said Mr Biancofiore's daughter-in-law gave consent to destroy the animal.
"It's an older dog, it's quite familiar with all of the members of the family and my understanding is it's out of character for the dog," the officer said.
Police believe the dog attack commenced inside the house.
Sen Sgt Parker said the victim's wife tried to help him move outside to get away, but the animal continued the attack.
A neighbour said there had never been trouble with the animal before.
"There was no stopping it. It's a giant pit bull," he told The Herald Sun.
Another witness said the dog was "going nuts".
The dog was not registered with the local City of Whittlesea council and there had been no prior reports to the council about the dog.
"The dog was euthanised last night and council will continue to assist Victoria Police with their investigation," said council spokeswoman Liana Thompson.
RSPCA Victoria's Tegan McPherson said there were several causes of dog attacks, but breed wasn't necessarily one of them.
"Breed alone is not a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour," she told ABC Radio.
"From what we're hearing, this dog didn't necessarily have a background of aggressive behaviour until this incident."
Mrs Biancofiore was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.
