About the stomach thing: the dog was a breed that stands about 18" at the shoulder, the guy was 6'3". That was about as high as the dog could reach on a jump. Pits grab the first body part they can get, they're not particular. Sometimes you're lucky there was no major blood vessel or nerves where they get you.

Unstable dogs often don't require provocation. I was attacked by an Old English Sheepdog while I was standing quietly in front of him. I turned my head to speak to one of his owners and he clamped down on my hand. A few months later, he cornered his owner in the yard and kept her there for two hours before he lost interest.

Another dog, a large Doberman, was lying quietly on an exam table. I was standing at the counter nearby, again not moving, and someone in the next room banged something against the wall. The dog went from passive to lunging at my face, snarling, faster than I thought was even possible. If the owner had not been alert and strong, he would have clamped down on my face.

There are many nice Pits and Staffs around, but with the great proliferation of aggressive dogs bred to fight illegally, there are a lot of them out in public that are incredibly unstable. Most people don't care about the breeding/temperment of a dog as much as they're looking for a low price.

SOP for a dog that bites someone: if the dog has been rabies vaccinated at any point in it's life, it is put in quarantine for 10-14 days and checked for rabies. If the owner can show no proof of vaccination, the dog is immediately euthanized and the brain is checked for rabies.

Note: if someone is bitten by a dog that is possibly rabid (your decision), NEVER shoot it in the head, go for the heart. Blowing the brain apart can mean the bitee gets the rabies treatment, which is no fun whatsoever.

Sue, 13 years as a vet tech, only bitten twice by dogs