Two rottweilers caught after vicious attack on autistic man in Winton.
The two Rottweilers who mauled autistic man Oliver Beaumont in Winton on Sunday have been euthanised.
A Southland District Council spokesperson said the two dogs were euthanised by a vet today.
The owners of the dogs had voluntarily surrendered them and had been co-operative in the process.
Southland District Councilgroup manager environmental services Bruce Halligan said information was still being gathered on the attack on 22-year-old Winton man Oliver Beaumont, who suffered injuries.
Oliver Beaumont was attacked by Rottweilers in Winton. Photo / Supplied
The council was yet to make a decision on whether further action would be taken under the Dog Control Act, and no decision would be made until statements from everyone involved had been received, Halligan said.
Halligan believed all statements should be gathered by the end of next week.
Beaumont suffered severe gashes to his face and puncture wounds on his arm before one of his neighbours and an off-duty police officer managed to halt the attack.
He was transported to Southland Hospital where he underwent surgery on Sunday night, but was back with his family in Winton by Monday.
The partner of the owner of one of the two Rottweilers, who asked to remain anonymous, told The New Zealand Herald earlier this week the "lovely'' dogs were not at fault, alleging Beaumont opened his gate and entered his property before the attack.
His partner owned the female dog, Zara, while the male dog, Frank, belonged to his partner's father.
"I am sorry for what has happened, but we are not bad owners and they are not bad dogs.
"They were protecting their home like all normal dogs would.''
"They are lovely dogs and very protective of their home.
"We got the dogs to guard our house and be our forever friends.''
Footage of the two rottweilers involved in an attack on an Autistic man in Winton. Image / Supplied
The suggestion that Beaumont, who suffers from autism, had entered the property was rejected by his father Chris.
"Oliver has always been afraid of dogs as he was attacked three years ago by a similar breed of dog.''
"These dogs make ... noise whenever anyone walks past.
"There's no way Oliver would even go near those dogs, let alone open the gate.''
A video of the attack supplied to Stuff appeared to show the attack taking place in the gravel road Beaumont was walking on, not in the yard containing the dogs.
His neighbour Annie Burazor, who was first on the scene of the attack and managed to rush Beaumont to safety and administer first aid after an off-duty police officer drove away the dogs, said Beaumont would not have provoked the mauling.
"He would not approach 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.
"They are not the type of dogs that you would ever want to get up close to.''
