A former horse jockey sacrificed his own life to save his mother while she was being mauled by his savage pit bull in Thailand.

Thedpong Kruethed, 47, was relaxing with his mum Duangsuree, 68, while she visited him at home in Nakhon Ratchasima province when the previously docile pet suddenly pounced on the woman on February 3.

The son said his mother had been asking him for the TV remote when the canine named Bobby charged at her with its teeth bared. The crazed pit bull tried to sink its fangs into her throat, but Duangsuree used her arm to block it.

Bobby bit the hapless pensioner's left thigh and slammed her against a fence as a shocked Thedpong ran to pry open its jaws with the help of his friend Mana, 51, who was nearby.

Mana rushed Duangsuree to the hospital, but the devil dog, still seeing red, turned its rage towards Thedpong as he was shepherding it into its cage.

Bobby brutally tore into him 'until his intestines spilled out', with Thedpong's girlfriend and niece pulling the man, who was well built and weighed 95kg, out of the cage.

They also took him to the hospital, but he died from blood loss due to his severe injuries.

Mana, who also works as Bobby's caretaker, said the dog had never been aggressive until that day.

He said: 'This was unexpected. We never had a problem with the dog before. He never attacked anyone.'

Mana added that the attack may have been triggered by Duangsuree's unfamiliar scent in its territory, as she only visits Thedpong's home a couple of times a year.

Duangsuree is recovering at the hospital, saying she only managed to survive thanks to her son.

She said: 'I cannot believe my son has been killed by his own pet dog. He loved his animals a lot.'

Animal protection organisation The Hope Thailand has offered to adopt and rehabilitate the killer canine. The group said it planned to build a shelter to serve as Bobby's forever home.

Bobby is still living at the same home where he butchered his owner and relative.

Thedpong is the latest casualty in a series of attacks involving rabid pit bulls in Thailand.

Last month, a 76-year-old pensioner was also mauled by four pit bulls in her neighbourhood in Nakhon Phanom province.

On October 23, a man was mauled to death by his family's pit bulls in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

A woman had also been severely wounded by her own pet pit bull in the same province last September while she had been feeding a stray dog.

In another incident, a pack of the ferocious beasts escaped from their house and pounced on their neighbour in Samut Songkhram last November.