I blame the owner—for even HAVING such a dog in a residential area. An animal of that size is a threat, even if owned by the most responsible of people. Why have such an animal?
“for even HAVING such a dog in a residential area”
There is nothing wrong with having a dog like this in a residential area as long as it stays in it own FENCED yard.
I have been to many dog shows over the years and have never found Mastiffs to be an aggressive breed in general.
They tend to be gentle giants. However, there are exceptions in every breed. It is the owners fault for not keeping it on their own property.
FYI, the breed with the most bite occurances are Labrador Retrievers. They are also the most popular breed in the country.
"I blame the owner—for even HAVING such a dog in a residential area. An animal of that size is a threat, even if owned by the most responsible of people. Why have such an animal?"
I think this is the most asinine thing I've seen on FR in a long time. Replace dog with gun, or car, or whatever... See the issue?
The problem is the owner didn't respect the nature of the dog and didn't control it. A dog that large is no different from a dog that weighs 2 pounds. They both have teeth and will bite. They also have the same wiring in the brain. Dogs understand the difference between right and wrong when taught. The owner was irresponsible but please don't make blanket statements that insult every large dog owner out there...
Here's our big dog with our daughter.... 
