"But DogsBite.org, a group dedicated to telling the stories of those hurt or killed by dogs, reports that from 2005 to 2020, dogs killed 568 Americans, and that 380 deaths, or 67 percent..."

"... were caused by pit bulls.... Many groups say numbers mean little without also knowing if a dog acted on impulse, was provoked, mistreated or protecting its owner from an assault.... Pit bulls, mastiffs, Rottweilers, King Corsos, Dobermans, German shepherds and Chow Chows are surrendered more frequently, and stay longer, than the poodles and retrievers, the shelter staff said. The breeds’ prevalence in low-income households is a factor, particularly as many dog owners lost jobs during the pandemic. Their reputation as dangerous fighting dogs also makes them less adoptable. 'Unfortunately, these bully mixes aren’t the dogs everyone is looking for because of this myth that they are aggressive. Then, when pet owners need to surrender an animal, we don’t have space,' said Ashley Jeffrey Bouck, chief executive of the shelter, which euthanizes animals only with debilitating and painful medical conditions. 'When people do want to open their homes to our dogs, insurance can be a reason not to.'"

From "Love Your Dog, but Beware of Your Homeowners’ Insurance/Many firms have long refused coverage or charge more for pit bulls and other dogs considered more dangerous, but New York and other states say policies shouldn’t be breed specific" (NYT).

Here's the top-rated comment over there: 

I am a veterinarian, and my first pit bull patient was in vet school. I was a senior on the neurology service and we had the sweetest, loviest pit bull come in to the service. Her lab work and radiographs were all normal, extensive neurological exams were normal, she was friendly to everyone and always happy to see us. The reason she was there was that she was to be euthanized after workup because the day before she had killed a 2 year old child. It left an impression. 

After 42 year in the business, I still don't completely understand the reason. I have seen what efficient fighters they are, they quickly disable their opponent by going first for the legs. It happens fast. Blaming the owner is unfair to many owners, but some may be culpable. Some dogs are wired a certain way. Breeding and genetics are powerful, just ask a Border Collie owner. I love all my pitbull patients, and most are loving and sweet. I rescued and treated one with heartworm using my own money. He was, as is often noted, a very sweet dog. A Bully rescuer in Maine adopted him, not an inexperienced owner. He was soon euthanized after he attacked the owner's daughter. 

There are no easy answers, but I agree with the post that likens this situation to an exploding car. How much risk are we willing to take with our lives and of those around us.

The "exploding car" analogy is in the article:

In 2014, Mia Johnson co-founded National Pit Bull Victim Awareness to track attacks in Canada and the United States, after a pit bull mutilated and killed her miniature Pinscher, Yuri, who was a service dog for her adult daughter who has Asperger’s syndrome and anxiety disorder.

“If there’s a make of car that tends to explode at high speeds, do you talk about educating the owners of those cars? Do you say the cars are misunderstood?” she asked. “It’s the car that’s the problem. It’s the type of dog that’s the problem. We hear from their victims every day.”