Dogs in south-west Sydney to be euthanased after man's death

The dogs suspected of mauling a man to death at a home in south-west Sydney will be euthanased, after also injuring a council worker who was trying to remove them.

The distinctive site, informally known as Saturn's Rings, in Eschol Park became a crime scene on Wednesday after the body of a 23-year-old man was discovered. NSW Police said the man suffered injuries consistent with being attacked by animals.

Commissioner Mal Lanyon told the ABC that police were investigating if the man was an intruder. "It is a very key line of our inquiry. He certainly doesn't appear to be a resident of that location," he said.

Dogs injure another man

Campbelltown City Council rangers and investigators attended the 117-hectare rural property on Friday morning, where they moved five dogs into vehicles to be transported to the pound. "At the scene, a 53-year-old man was treated for a minor hand injury," police said in a statement. "The dogs were taken to the animal shelter to be euthanised."

Campbelltown City Mayor Darcy Lound said the man's death had "shocked our caring community". "Regardless of the details, it's just a tragic event. Our heart goes out to the gentleman's family," he told the ABC.

Under NSW law, the owner of a dog is granted "certain protection" if they attack a person who is trespassing, or if the dog is provoked. However, other forms of liability may still apply. There is a provision under the law that allows dangerous, menacing and restricted dogs to be seized and destroyed.

The home where the suspected attack happened was built by Polish immigrant Stefan Dzwonnik, and the ABC understands the property remained in the family after his death in 2018. Efforts have been made to contact the present-day owner.

The home has been a source of mystique among the local community since its construction in 1979. According to the Campbelltown City Library, it once bore the name Universal Power House, as Mr Dzwonnik had planned for the building "to be the mecca for a world-wide movement directed toward a better life on Earth".

However, it is more commonly known as Saturn's Rings, as its design incorporates three concentric rings and three concentric units inspired by the planet. "At the time the building was regarded as one of the most spectacular in New South Wales with a limitless, panoramic view of the surrounding countryside," the library's blog states.