Is it just too damn hard for people to get a normal dog?
Nooooo. Some douche parent has to get something like this because they think it makes them look tough.
A neighbor had a pit bull. His daughter was a youngster at the time. I asked the neighbor if he was concerned the dog would attack. He said with proper care and supervision, he felt the dog would fit in well with the family.
The put bull was a sweetheart. I rubbed her belly one day and I was her friend for life. Every time she would see me, she would drop to the ground and roll on her back for her belly rub.
She’s gone now and I miss that dog. Maybe my neighbor was just lucky or maybe he did something right with that dog, but there was never any trouble with her.
It’s not that at all. Right now, the narrative is that these dogs are harmless and are victims of ‘bad press’. So well-meaning people are adopting them, believing that (if they’re raised right) they’re no more harmful than a Labrador.
I believe that the vast majority of the pits out there are good dogs than do well with a decent upbringing. But that 1% can be fatal.
With young children in the house, of course it's fun to have a puppy to raise. But I'm not sure it's ever a good idea. It's better if the young dog is old enough to have shown its personality and willingness to follow directions. Then let the young dog and the child meet in a situation where they can interact.
Pit bulls and other breeds that have a self-defense streak often don't work out well with young children. There are exceptions. I made the mistake once with a dog back in the 1970s that had a little too much German Shepard war dog in its DNA. The dog was fine....until it felt threatened.