Wow I'm sorry but this statement I have to respond to. That's just ignorant to say that Pit Bulls as a breed should be eliminated. How difficult do you think it would be to start inbreeding labs, goldens, any terrier including the Yorkie, to totally change their personality and make them aggressive. It wouldn't be that hard at all.
The reason that you see so many pitbulls in the media is because people feed off of it. It's the mass public stereotype. Pit Bulls are a dime a dozen and therefore easy to turn into vicious fighters. Yes they were bred for hunting and to bring down larger animals, but go have a look into the background of many of the beloved "family pets" and you will see the same.
Out of those links that were posted, how many of them were American Staffordshire Terriers that were quality bred from parents with stable temperaments and breeders who care about the breed? I'd be zero to none.
Do you know what breeds the term "pit bull" actually encompass? If you look up various laws, it can actually be :
American Pit Bull Terrier,
American Staffordshire Terrier, and
Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and dogs with significant mixes of these breeds; however, a few jurisdictions also classify the
American Bulldog and the
Bull Terrier as a "pit bull".
The "pit bull" is not a breed. It's a slang term.
Btw, our pit bull boxer mix is the sweetest most well behaved boy. He loves our 3 pound Yorkie and treats her with love and gentleness. He's been around many small dogs and "knows" when they are smaller. About that prey instinct drive, most dogs know the difference between a dog and another type of animal by smell. Unless the dog has had no training or has over the type prey drive, which should then not be owned by a novice dog handler, the dog will know the difference.