I once owned a Rottweiler that weighed 120 pounds, he was magnificent and never offered to hurt a human being, he was even extremely protective of children. Having said that, let me add that I am older and wiser now and never intend to own another, even though I am six four and well over two hundred pounds that dog could probably have had me for breakfast in about one minute. The strength of a dog of that size and type must be witnessed to be believed.
At 17 years of age, 5' 1", and not even close to 120 lbs, I don't even try to physically control ANY dog - be it 35 lb American Staffordshire Terrier, 65 lb Golden Retriever, or 120 lb Rottweiler. Interestingly enough, I've been taking my abused (and formerly vicious) Golden-type dogs to the nursing home every week for four years, where they respond impeccably to my commands and hand signals.
More recently, I've also begun rescuing abused and abandoned dogs, focusing primarily on the problem of breed specific discrimination; namely, focusing on the dog and its breed, rather than on the owner's lack of responsibility, compassion, and knowledge. Each "pit bull" I've helped rescue has served at the nursing home and NEVER shown any signs of aggression under my parents' fostership or adopters' ownership. The only dog-bite I've ever received was from not obeying a dog when it tried to warn me away from a copperhead snake. Before being adopted out, our foster dogs are commanded to perform basic obedience exercises while being attacked by a leashed, muzzled, trained Golden.
Whether a Golden Retriever, American Pit Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Presa Canario...or block-headed mutt (usually referred to as a "pit bull"), any dog of reasonable size and strength is perfectly capable of killing a human. Owners can prevent this by recognising this fact and giving their dogs proper obedience instruction. Had Willey taken measures (numerous citations???) to protect the public and her children from her animals, she herself would never have been the victim of this immense tragedy.
As for why anyone could love a "pit bull" or Presa Canario, here's why I do. Like humans, animals are thinking, feeling, suffering creatures. If I can only love a dog because it loves me first, or a human because he/she is kind to me, what love is that? True unbounded love is irrational, it simply exists - and when it does, it comes from within the giver and is shared with every living being.
Please don't respond to tragdedies like these by berating the dead dog. Was he ever taught how we expect to behave in human society? Dangerous dog citations...evidently not. And Willey need not have died in vain. Can we learn from her mistakes and love our families, society, and pets through recognition of OUR responsibility to humanely guide our dogs? Dogs are NOT humans, they are our property - ours to love, cherish, protect, and teach. We're in the twenty first century here: we don't need to create mythical monsters out of those beings that could be our best friends.