A man was rushed to hospital after authorities initially believed his pet dog “about the size of a Jack Russell terrier” bit off his penis and ate it.
Neighbours of the man, who lives in Germany, alerted police after they heard the pet dog’s incessant barking coming from his home at 2am.
When first responders arrived, they could hear loud groans coming from the man’s home.
They broke the front door down and found the 66-year-old man writhing in pain alongside his barking dog.
He was rushed to hospital with his life in danger after the gruesome incident.
German newspaper Bild reported the man’s penis has so far not been recovered from the scene.
Lemanis, from the Bochum police, told the German tabloid: “The man has been put into an artificial coma by the doctors. We hope we can interview him soon.
“One hypothesis, of course, is that the dog, which is about the size of a Jack Russell terrier, bit off the penis and ate it. The wound could also be a bite wound.
“But it’s also possible a sex accident or a crime”: he posited.
Police have since said they firmly believe another person was involved in the incident, and that the dog played no part in an attack.
“The separation of the genitals was definitely done by another person,” police said.
In 2012, a 61-year-old Austrian man was attacked by a dog on the loose and had his genitals bitten off.
After he was rushed to hospital and underwent a several-hour operation, they were able to save his genitals.