A man who had been missing for months was eaten by his own pet dogs, police have said.

The pack of 18 mixed-breed dogs apparently devoured Freddie Mack’s body, clothing and hair at his home in Texas.

Bone fragments measuring between 2-5in were all that remained.

“Never have we ever, or anyone we’ve spoken to, heard of an entire human being consumed,” said Deputy Aaron Pitts.

“The bones were completely broken up and eaten.”

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Mack had serious health problems and it is unclear whether the dogs killed their owner, or ate his body after he died.

A relative reported the reclusive man missing from his home near Venus in May, saying the family had not heard from him since mid-April.

The aggressive dogs stopped the family from entering Mack’s property, and posed problems for deputies, who were eventually able to look around while keeping the dogs away with a “distraction method,” the sheriff’s office said.

After days of searching the property, investigators discovered animal faeces containing bits of human hair, clothing and bone amid the high grass.

The larger fragments were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Remains Identification, and were eventually matched to Mack through family DNA testing.

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Deputy Pitts said two of the dogs were killed by their mates, 13 were put down because of their “aggressive nature” and three have been put up for adoption.

The deputy said the dogs were well fed and cared for.

“This man loved his animals,” he said.