In the U.S., the term "pit bull" is most commonly associated with one of four unique breeds: American Pit Bull Terriers (the only breed with "Pit Bull" in their name), Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and American Bullies.

While distinct, these breeds all have similar appearances and personalities, and they generally originate from "Bull and Terriers" (a heterogeneous grouping of dogs created primarily from Old English Bulldogs and Old English Terriers). These "Bull and Terriers" were in fact the first to receive the label "pit bull" in the early 1800's, as their primary use was bull baiting. (MORE)

"Pit bull" purists, however, will argue that the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is the only "true pit bull".  They note that it is the only breed with "Pit Bull" in the name, and that when the other related breeds (such as the American Staffordshire Terrier) diverged around the mid 1800's, their breeders intentionally left behind the "pit bull" name and bred their lines away from fighting/bull baiting. For these purists, "pit bull" is simply a nickname for the APBT.

Either way, "pit bull" is not an official breed name.

There is simply no such thing as a healthy dog with a "locking jaw".

While Bully Breeds certainly have a powerful bite, they are not even the strongest biters according to studies. 

In fact, Bully Breeds don't even break the top 15 in this regard, with breeds like Rottweilers and Huskies beating them out in bite pressure per square inch.

Through a variety of temperament tests and challenges, the ATTS (American Temperament Test Society) gives breeds a pass/fail percentage.

Bully Breeds range in the 86-91% PASS range; with the average among all other breeds being much lower, at 83%.

Properly raised, Bully Breeds are naturally some of the sweetest, most gentle, and most loyal dogs you'll find.

While less than 6% of dogs in the US are Bully Breeds, they account for 30-50% of all dogs in shelters. Roughly 40% of Bully Breeds in shelters are euthanized.

Each year, anywhere from 500k (low estimates) to 1 MILLION Bully Breed dogs are euthanized.

Media discrimination, widespread myths, and improper education have led to these unbalanced and unacceptable results.

We are all aware that the media tends to sensationalize stories, and to focus on certain stories with extreme bias.

This is the case with stories involving Bully Breeds.

Media focuses unfairly on "Pit Bull" related incidents with biased headlines, uneven coverage, and misinformation. Rarely does the media cover the "full story" in these incidents, avoiding details of abuse and neglect of the dogs involved.