Two rottweilers who mauled an autistic Southland man last week have been euthanised today.
A Southland District Council spokesperson confirmed the two dogs were euthanised by a vet, the NZ Herald reports.
Oliver Beaumont, 22, was seriously injured after he was attacked by the rottweilers near his home in Winton on Sunday.
Mr Beaumont was later rescued by a neighbour and an off-duty police officer.
He was transported to Southland Hospital, where he underwent surgery after receiving a head wound and gashes to his arm.
The owner of one of the dogs, who wished to remain anonymous, told the NZ Herald earlier this week that the "lovely" dogs were not at fault .
"I am sorry for what has happened, but we are not bad owners and they are not bad dogs," the owner said.
"They were protecting their home like all normal dogs would.''
He alleges Mr Beaumont was attacked after Mr Beaumont, who is autistic, entered the man's property and unlatched the gate.
This was rejected by Mr Beaumont's father, Chris, who said his son "has always been afraid of dogs as he was attacked three years ago by a similar breed of dog".
"There's no way Oliver would even go near those dogs, let alone open the gate," he said.
Neighbour Annie Burazor, who was first on the scene during the attack, said Mr Beaumont would not have approached the dogs.
"He walks that walk every day multiple times up and down and those dogs are always barking at everyone and everything walking by their house," Ms Burazor said.
"They are not the type of dogs that you would ever want to get up close to.''
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