My 30 pound dog was attacked by three unleashed pit bulls

[Carolina]

177. people are often the problem with dogs

whether it's not taking the time to train or otherwise domesticate the animal or something darker like abuse and neglect.

Case in point, your neighbor's dog bit her baby so she tried to pawn the animal off on you. Who does she think would want a dog with that history? The dog will certainly end up in a shelter and likely euthanized. Don't get me wrong, though, I surely understand her fear, stress, concern about her baby and putting the welfare of the child over that of the dog. But I do wonder how was the dog trained before the baby came into the picture, etc.

If you'd like a dog and don't care to raise a puppy (either from a reputable breeder or from a shelter where litters can be found in abundance), go to a shelter and observe the adult dogs repeatedly, talk with staff members and if/once you settle on a particular animal, get a trainer or go to obedience school. I learned so much from the trainer in my PetSmart class.

BTW, with the exception of my beagle, my other adoptees were puppies that I raised. I also always choose animals in the mid-size weight range of 25-45 pounds, so I know I can physically control them if need be. Lastly, I tend to have 2 dogs at any given time so that (as pack animals) they can keep each other company when the family is out; and also so the older one can "train" the new one to our household routines. This has been a longstanding habit when age or illness reduces our canine population to one.

Anyway, good luck finding just the right animal one day... a good dog is truly man's best friend.