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“It was one of the most gruesome sights I have ever seen.”

These were the words of Bester Maree from ACSU Security as he recalled a vicious scene in which a 20-year-old Ermelo resident was attacked and killed by his own dogs. Ruan van Staden died at around 11:00 on Thursday.

“There was blood all over the yard and he was lying in a pool of blood”, he continued.

He saw that the two dogs had their jaws clutched around Van Staden’s neck and head.

Maree ran home, got his hand weapon and fired a shot to try and chase the dogs away.

The dogs apparently let go and fled, but after a short while they continued. When ACSU arrived at the scene, the dogs were dragging Van Staden’s motionless body around the yard.

Paramedics could not get to him because they feared they would also be attacked.

Van Staden had serious wounds to his head and throat. All his clothes had been torn off.

Maree and his colleague, Hennie Engelbrecht, shot and killed the dogs. Maree said it was still a mystery why the dogs unexpectedly turned on their own owner. Van Staden was a trailer builder by trade and ran a small business where he would sell and rent out trailers from his house. –  AFP