A husband has died and his wife left badly injured, after a dog attack in Melbourne.
The man, identified as Leo Biancofiore, 61, is thought to have been mauled to death by an American Staffordshire terrier, which was owned by the couple’s son, Mark.
Victoria Police were called to an address on Ancona Drive, Mill Park, after reports of a man that had been attacked by a dog.
Mr Biancofiore was reportedly recovering from an operation and in a motorised wheelchair when the attack happened at 6.30pm last night (10 July).
His wife, Donata Biancofiore, was also injured after stepping in to protect her husband.
A neighbour told News.com, ‘She was the real hero. She put her life on the line. She was trying to fight him off.’
According to reports, it’s believed Mrs Biancofiore was also injured and taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for treatment where she is thought to be in a stable condition with severe injuries to her upper body.

A neighbour told the Herald Sun he attempted to spray the dog with water to distract it from the attack.
‘There was no stopping it. It’s a pit bull,’ he said.
Police opened fire at the dog to stop the attack but it took several hours until the animal was finally captured around 10.30pm.
Senior Sergent Glenn Parker said the deceased man’s daughter-in-law gave consent to destroy the animal.
A police statement said, ‘Upon attending the address, officers located a deceased man and a woman with serious injuries.
‘Shots were fired by members to deter the dog from further attacking the woman and members and it was contained in the premises.’
Speaking about Mr Biancofiore, a neighbour told The Age, He’s been a very lovely person. We will miss him a lot, especially my husband. We love him.’