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SALT LAKE CITY -- Some Salt Lake County pit bulls got all dressed up in their Halloween costumes Thursday. Animal advocates held a costume party to help break the misconception that pit bulls are more violent than other dogs.
Animal advocates say it's easy to attach an intimidating image to the title "pit bull," but Ed Fritz with Best Friends Animal Society says the image isn't fair. The breed can be playful too.
"They're very interested in each other, so they're very social. They're very interested in the people around them, what's going on, the activities; they want to be a part of it," Fritz says.
He says many behavior problems in pit bulls stem from being raised in a bad environment. Plus, aggression isn't exclusive to big, muscular dogs.
"We see dogs of all different kinds coming into the shelter, and we see behavior issues across all of those breeds," says Shawni Larrabee, director of Salt Lake County Animal Services.
Larrabee says she is far more likely to get a call concerning a bite from a pit bull than from any other breed.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
