The story from Sudbury has been talked about a lot around town. I heard that the OWNER of the pit bull was pissing on the neighbors lawn, which prompted the owner of the house to confront the man.
Kind of poetic justice that the dog turned on his owner, if you ask me. It is unfortunate that the animal will pay most of the price for his owners stupidity, most likely with his life when he is euthanized.
In all fairness to pit bulls, any dog can attack. A woman working as a greeter at Home Depot had her nose almost bitten off by a Shih-tzu recently. Dogs are allowed in the store, but the company is now reviewing that policy.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/04/18/ot-small-dog-bites-workers-nose.html
I agree that in most cases, dog attacks are an owner problem. People absolutely must take responsibility for their pets.
That being said, it doesn't hurt anyone to practice dog safety. Always, always ask an owner if their dog is friendly before petting them or getting close. Read an article to educate yourself on signs to look out for in order to recognize if a dog may get aggressive. Things such as the dogs posture, if their fur is standing on end in a line down their back, or the orientation of the ears and tail can often indicate whether a dog is aggressive or fearful (which often leads to aggression), and can be valuable warning signs to stay clear. (My dog gets a total mohawk on her back when she is riled!) Never, ever, tower over a strange dog as the dog may see that as a sign of aggression or dominance and pre emptively strike at you. Educate children about dogs, make it good practice to teach children to ask an owner before touching their dog, and not run up to strange animals. Just some food for thought.