Dutch Belted cows were imported into the USA in the 1830s, where they were exhibited as a rare breed by P.T. Barnum in his travelling circus. The 1886, the Dutch Belted Cattle Association of America herdbook was established, and still continues today as the oldest continual registry for the breed worldwide. The breed became well established in the USA and continued in popularity until about 1940, but during the 1900s, numbers of Dutch Belted cattle declined worldwide to the point of near-extinction. In the USA, the breed’s decline in popularity was exacerbated by a government herd reduction / buy-out program, which encouraged selling dairy cattle for beef to bolster milk prices. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy lists the Dutch Belted as "critical" on the Conservation Priority List. The population in the USA is estimated at less than 300, with fewer than 1,000 worldwide. Cross-breeding in the Netherlands has resulted in dilution of original stock, and the US population of Dutch Belted cattle is now considered purer and more true to the original genotype than are the cows in the Netherlands today. Currently, a "Breeding Up" program designed to increase numbers and genetic diversity of the Dutch Belted is in place. The program breeds registered Dutch Belted bulls with grade cows. By the fifth generation, offspring are considered 96.88% pure and eligible for full registration with the Dutch Belted Cattle Association of America. Professor Raymond Becker, "Dairy Cattle Breeds: Origin and Development" ()