Lethal injection for death-grip dog

A pit bull dog had to be lethally injected when it latched on to a man's hand for more than 20 minutes after attacking his two pet dogs in Melbourne.

Paramedics were forced to kill the dog with a dose of drugs designed to put severely injured patients into an induced coma when the animal refused to let go of the man.

A Victoria Ambulance spokesman said the killing had been an "absolute last resort" at the request of police who could not shoot the dog because it was too close to the man.

The 30-year-old man had been walking his "two small fluffy dogs" on Sunday night when the American pit bull dog attacked, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

One of the small dogs was killed and the other injured during the attack.

The dogs' owner tried to help but was then bitten on the hand by the pit bull, which held its grip for more than 20 minutes.

The man was taken to the Northern Hospital for treatment.

The pit bull had been off his leash and roaming the suburb's streets at the time of the attack.

Police last night spoke to the pit bull's distressed owner and investigations are continuing.

Pure-bred American pit bull terriers are a restricted breed in Victoria and must be desexed in a bid to eventually wipe out the breed.

The attack has renewed calls from the RSPCA for the breed to be banned in Australia.

The Victorian RSPCA's president, Dr Hugh Wirth, says the dogs are a menace and are not suitable as pets for anyone.

"They are time bombs waiting for the right circumstances,'' Dr Wirth said.

''The American pit bull terrier is lethal because it was a breed that was developed purely for dog fighting, in other words killing the opposition.

"They should never have been allowed into the country. They are an absolute menace.

''What that dog did to that gentleman is no surprise.

''There is no reason at all for the dog in the country.

''They are not suitable pets for anybody.''

Dr Wirth said local councils were not doing enough to enforce strict laws on pit bull terriers.

Restrictions for owners include confining the dogs to their property, ensuring the property is escape-proof, while a signpost warning of the dog's existence must be displayed outside the property.

Dr Wirth said unless the law to desex the dogs was properly enforced there would be more attacks.

''Local government has got to spend some money going around identifying these dogs and forcing the issue," he said.

The latest attack comes after a toddler was scarred for life when she was attacked by a pit bull in Melbourne's west earlier this year.

- with AAP