I think it's a misconception that because the dog is a pitbull, it's somehow more likely to be aggressive than another breed might be. While it is true that many of the dog attacks that you hear about are from pits,
we need to keep things in perspective. For one thing, pitbulls are probably one of America's most popular breeds. In my own hometown I'd say they are the most popular. For another thing, people that buy this breed often do so because it is a status symbol a "tough guy" kind of thing. Often these people intentionally raise the dogs to be aggressive either as a guard dog or for illegal fighting matches. Making the problem that much worse is that more often than not these dogs are left unaltered. Intact dogs (especially males) of any breed are far more likely to be aggressive than those that have been spayed or neutered.
I have personally had many dogs try to attack me (and although I work at a veterinary office, only one of those attacks happened while I was on the job - a maltese bit my ankle). All of them have been purebred dogs, but not a single one of them was a pitbull or rottweiler or any of the other supposedly aggressive breeds. In fact, one of the worse attacks was by a golden retriever - a breed that has a reputation for being a gentle and loving family pet - which bloodied my face. I've also been bitten by a dalmatian, a saint bernard, a cocker spaniel, and an Irish setter.
If you've already spoken to your neighbor and she's refused to do anything about it, you should contact your local animal control and report the problem. At the very least they should be able to send an officer to speak to your neighbor and possibly scare her into compliance.
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