MELBOURNE - A rogue kangaroo tried to drown a dog and then viciously attacked its owner when he launched a rescue bid, paramedics said on Monday.

The kangaroo held the dog under water at a dam near Melbourne and left deep lacerations across the 49-year-old owner's face and body when he dived in to save his pet.

"The 49-year-old dived into the dam and managed to free his dog but he was injured in the process," paramedic Michael Vosbergen said.

"He suffered a deep cut across his abdomen, a deep cut across his face and eye and a number of scratches to his chest, face and arms."

The man was treated at a nearby hospital after the incident on Sunday. Last month, a motorcyclist crashed into a kangaroo and died while riding his Harley-Davidson in Canberra.