The term “pit bull” doesn’t describe a single breed but rather a group of breeds that all share a common genetic connection. Pit bulls include any breed descended from bulldogs and terriers, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Bull Terrier and a few others. Bully breeds have been used for dozens of purposes, including as police dogs, military dogs, search and rescue dogs, and guard dogs. They have a nasty reputation, however, and country-wide bans are common, despite protests from devoted advocates of the breed.
Pit bulls were once bred to fight bulls or bears for entertainment. The twisted form of amusement is a thing of the past thanks to animal cruelty laws, but the breed’s reputation for being fierce fighters is far from over. When pit bulls attack, they tend to hang on to their target no matter what. Since bites from a pit bull are usually serious, many countries have taken a “better safe than sorry” approach, banning the breed or restricting ownership. Some countries, for example, require a permit to purchase one or require the breed to be muzzled any time they leave the house. In total, 49 countries have some kind of ban on pit bull ownership, including the U.S.
