Officials say the dog attacked the man, and he was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The dog was tased and taken to Pima Animal Care Center.
Justin Gallick, with Animal Care Advocate says, "They're very happy, social, easy-going dogs." He speaks from experience because he owns a pit bull.
But apparently not everyone feels that way. Animal shelters are packed with pit bulls and pit bull mixes. Gallick says that's because the more popular a breed becomes the more the shelters tend to see them.
Gallick says the dogs like most of the ones in the shelter are either brought in the by owners or brought in as strays. He points out the pit bulls are mixed in with other dogs and do just fine. He also says they're a favorite with volunteers who walk them.
"You socialize them well, you train them, you are going to get - you have the potential to have as great a dog as any other breed," Gallick says.
Rich Mongardi agrees. He brings Buddy to a dog park for his daily exercise.
Buddy is a Rottweiler mix. He says for the most part, pit bulls are good dogs, it's just how they're raised.
"There're pit bulls that come here - they're playful and enjoy themselves," he says, adding that he doesn't have a problem with Buddy playing with pit bulls at all.
So what is it that makes a dog, like the one in Wednesday's attack, just turn on their owner in a split second?
Gallick says, "There's so many variables, that could come into play; the dog's upbringing, sometimes breeding temperament, and environmental circumstances."
In the video, it says they're not sure if the owner is going to live or not.
(KVOA - August 4, 2011)
