The pit bull is facing an existential crisis. Unfair media vilification, unchecked rampant breeding, and many other critical challenges are threatening our beloved pit bull-type dogs, resulting in them being sent to shelters in record numbers where they are more likely than not to be euthanized. We want to change that! Not by painting an inaccurate, overly rosy picture of how amazing these dogs are, but by telling the truth. 

For our first article on this subject, we will summarize the pit bull’s plight in absolute numbers. 

The statistics which appear below are averages based on information from these widely accredited sources: 

animals24/7.org, American Kennel Club. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Animal Law Review, The Canadian Veterinary Journal, Frontiers of Veterinary Science Journal, Insurance Information Institute, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, Journal of Evolutionary Applications, L.A. Times, petpedia.com, pitbullinfo.org. Public Library of Science, science.org, shelteranimalscount.org, and The Veterinary Journal. 

For the sake of this article, we are including the following breeds in the term “pit bull-type dog”: 

1. American Bully 
2. American Pitbull Terrier 
3. American Staffordshire Terrier 
4. Staffordshire Bull Terrier 

If we were to include all of the bully breeds herein, the statistics below—which are sickening—would be that much worse. 

Here goes: 

• There are just under 90 million dogs in the U.S. 
• 4.5 million of those, or roughly 5%, are pit bull-type dogs 
• In 2023, 3.2 million dogs entered North American shelters 
• Over 700,000, or about 22%, were pit bulls 
• 450,000 dogs were euthanized in shelters in 2023
• About 180,000 of those euthanized, or roughly 40%, were pit bulls
• Repeat! – pit bulls, in 2023, represented:
• 5% of all dogs in the U.S.
• 22% of all dogs entering shelters
• 40% of dogs euthanized in shelters

Why is there a gross disparity in the plight of the pit bull compared to all other breeds? 

This disparity is due to a variety of factors, including: 

• Grossly misinterpreted and wildly misreported dog bite statistics (by media and by “authorities”) 
• Mislabeling of the breeds 
• Overpopulating by greedy breeders 
• Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) 

Stay tuned to this page on thepitbullcoalition.org for upcoming articles that tell the truth about how and why pit bulls are unfairly treated—which has resulted in the current crisis—and back that truth up with cold, hard facts and statistics. 

Together, for the pit bulls and for bully breed dogs everywhere.