And of course by “family dog” the media usually means intact, unsocialized, unvetted and untrained dog living on a chain in the backyard. It is fact that dogs living in such conditions become aggressive. (One more reason chaining should be outlawed.) Dogs are social creatures and become frustrated (to put it mildly) when they are kept in such an environment. How many of those stories mention in passing that the dog/dogs “broke from their chain(s)”. Very revealing.
Oh, and for those not paying attention: this was not a Staffordshire Terrier.... but a bulldog (or at least one was). For those who believe every dog involved in a bite is a Terrier/commonly considered to be a “pit bull”, now you know.
Prayers for the family.
Correction: both were bull dogs.