Okay, you people saying pit bulls are vicious are morons. PIt bulls are actually bred NOT to bite people. They were bred to fight other dogs, which is why they often have dog-to-dog aggression issues, but they are excellent dogs to people. HUMANS had to be in the fighting pits with the dogs. HUMANS had to pull apart the dogs, sometimes in the middle of a fight. Any pit bull that would bite a person would be eliminated from the gene pool. Pit bulls are bred to be completely trustworthy and friendly towards people. This dog was probably either abused by the owners, or the OP did something to set it off. In neither case is it the dog's fault. The owners should probably be sued unless the the OP deserved it, and the dog should be rehomed, if possible. It's ridiculous to put it down after one incident; the dog deserves a chance to find a good owner. I hate how people just automatically say to put down a dog, just because it's easier. :/

seriously everyone who thinks all pit bulls are agressive (or even dobermans, rotts, german shepherds and boxers for that matter) have no idea what they are talking about. I love pit bulls, and every one i have ever met has been a sweetheart! this is just a misconception. ANY dog can bite a person if they are afraid and ANY dog can be just plain mean. have any of you ever met a frickin chihuahua??? they are more likely to bite someone than an "agressive" breed. i have worked at a vet for almost 4 years now and am yet to be bit by any of these so-called agressive breeds but i cant even count how many times i have been bit by a chiuahua or even a lab (which is called a family dog). so seriously quit saying pits are these horrible dogs. it could have been a freak accident that caused the dog to bite. it could have been afraid or felt threatened by a stranger in the house it sucks that you got bit and i think your neighbor should at least pay you for taking care of the dog! if not pay your doctor bill too!

um... GET A LAWYER?

Yeah, do you know that the first time a PITTBULL attacks someone it has to be put down because they are naturally vicious dogs?

No, because they have an ill-deserved REPUTATION for being a naturally vicious dog. People are too lazy to actually research and whatnot; it's easier to just condemn it, go with the flow or whatever. And then the dogs suffer.

thats a pit for ya. well technically you could have the dog put down for that (but thats kinda harsh if you ask me) so they should be kissing your ASS after their dog pulled that shit.

Hey OP, how about you learn how to approach animals properly, especially dogs. If you had any sense, you would know that you never go right up to a dog and assume they'll love you. I say you fail.

Your neighbors are dicks, they shouldn't have gotten you to watch a dangerous dog without warning you AND paying

You deserve it for being a dumbass. Pitbulls are insane, what the hell were you thinking agreeing to watch one?!

I work at a no-kill SPCA. I was once bitten by a pitbull, he gave me a 1/4 inch scar on my finger. I was once bitten by a lab, she sent me to the hospital for stitches in both sides of my hand, and left me with a hand with 3 fingers that point in a different direction than the last one, as well as two circle-shaped scars on one leg and an inch-long scar on the other. Who's more vicious? PB's are my favorite breed and I have tons of experience with them and knowledge about them. Having worked with dogs full-time for the past 8 years, I would NEVER go up to ANY new dog, pit bull or not, and just expect them to act like they've known me their whole life, although to be completely honest I find that I more readily approach a PB that I don't know as opposed to any other breed. I've also watched friends' PBs several times, and each time, even though I know the dog knows me, I don't act like I'm the dog's best friend, at least not right away. All dogs have boundaries. You have to be able to read the dog's expression and body language before you can expect to develop any kind of bond. The only reason PBs have a bad name is because they are incredibly loyal and want nothing more than to please their owner, so if the owner says, "Kill!" the dog wants to listen. If the owner says, "Be the best dog in the world!" the dog will listen. You don't just take a dog home and let it go and expect it to know how to act. PB attacks are like airplane crashes - they don't happen often, but when they do, it's all over the news, so people think they're much more prevalent than they are, but really they're just overrepresented. Before you say that any breed is terrible, get to know it. Don't assume, don't go by what other people tell you, find out for yourself. That's what I did.