"She said she understands why people are afraid of pit bulls because of their build and the way they look."  “My dog was the complete opposite,” Ramos said.

And just how is someone who does not know the dog personally supposed to know that this dog "was the complete opposite."  It is tragic that this happened, but it is equally tragic that this did not need to happen.  Dogs in public spaces need to be under their owner's total control at all times.  Maybe the dog "was a sweetheart" however, my guess is that prior to this incident these people also would have claimed that their dog was also a great watchdog and would have protected their child as well as protect them if it felt threatened.