Elderly man dismembered and mauled to death in Jacksonville dog attack

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An 83-year-old man has been mauled to death by a pack of four dogs near his home in Florida.

Michael Downing was killed by his neighbour’s dogs near his home in Jacksonville at around 4pm on Friday, according to officials.

Neighbours discovered Mr Downing’s body by a set of bins next to his and the dog owner’s homes. He had been dismembered and was barely recognizable, WFTV9 reports.

“By far it’s probably the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Mackenzie Partin told the broadcaster. “There was only 30 per cent left of his body.”

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Michael Jason Downing, who lived at the Franklin Arms Apartments at 888 Franklin St., was found dead in the backyard of a home in the 1100 block of Jessie Street shortly after 4 p.m.

The owner of the dogs told The Times-Union that he was away from the house at the time of the attack. It was not clear how the dogs got to Downing, though he may have been pulled under a fence, authorities said.

The fence separates the yard and a parking lot for the apartment complex where residents dispose of trash into dumpsters.

Neighbors who live in the apartment complex pointed out holes in the fence Monday and said the dogs were able to slip through from time to time. Some of the holes are now covered by wooden fencing or boards.

The four dogs, aged 3 to 5 years old, include a rottweiler and three that are mixed breeds consisting of German shepherd, rottweiler, and chow chow.

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The neighbor said the dogs treated Downing like a “rag doll,” ripping off his legs and tearing flesh from his head and arms.

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