A two year old is not a baby, have you ever heard of the term "terrible two's"?
This whole situation is terrible, probably lib parents thinking that this was a "feel good" event and let their child go willy nilly, without warning or informing the child, about a dog's behavior.
Do the compromise and let Rusty live.
The parents and the toddler did nothing according to the article you posted. Your version of what happened be is a dog lovers fantasy. The attack was unprovoked. The dog has proven itself to be vicious and I hope the parents get their wish.
It’s a dog. Having said that, it’s not particularly responsible to bring a two year old to an area where shelter dogs are being adopted out or brought out for inspection. Two year olds can be unpredictable, are completely ignorant of the dangers a dog may pose, and should not be part of the “choosing” of a pet, anyway. If the parents visit with the dog first, and are assured by its owners of it’s good behavior around children, THEN, perhaps, they could be brought in to interact with the dog. Of course, if the dog in question is a pit bull, or some other breed known for it’s potentially aggressive behavior, and the parents are considering such an animal, THEY need to have their “you know what”, kicked up between their shoulders. But then, I think pit bulls should be illegal, unless placed with a person who lives far away from other people. And by far away, I mean several miles from civilization. I love dogs; wouldn’t be happy without one; but you have to be very careful about some dog breeds around children; in fact, almost ANY dog around children. And NO dog is as important as a child, even if you’re childless and your dog is your “child”.