A DOCTOR who won a four-year legal battle to save his three dogs from being put down for attacking humans has been mauled to death by the animals.

Sky News said today the 52-year-old victim was attacked in his garden in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and died before police arrived. Officers shot one of the bullmastiffs dead and the other two were put down.

The pets spent years in "custody" pending legal hearings, but when one of them attacked a dog handler, authorities ordered them to be put down.

But at the eleventh hour, in June 2009, the doctor succeeded in overturning the order and got his dogs back, sparking national controversy.

They were apparently not grateful.

"Three dogs bit their 52-year-old owner to death in Ljubljana yesterday," police spokeswoman Maja Adlesic said.

News of the owner's death prompted an opposition party to call for the resignation of the agriculture minister for failing to stop the dogs from being released back to their owner.

Police gave no more details and have so far refused to identify the victim, in line with the country's privacy laws.

- Read more about the dog attack at Sky News.