Rally held for pit bull victim awareness

Oct. 24 marks National Pit Bull Awareness Day and a group called "Responsible Citizens for Public Safety" gathered on the steps of the State Capitol Thursday to hold a tribute.

The group says both pit bulls and people are victimized because of a lack of regulations on their care and keeping.

One person who attended the rally said she has a very personal reason for working to make a change.

"After my own attack, I wanted to make my community safer. Even if I could only make it one step closer to a safer community. That is an important distinction and always the reason most of us are here today. We are seeking common sense legislation to protect public safety," said Colleen Lynn, founder of Dogsbite.org.

The group is calling for breed safety laws that relate to spay and neuter requirements.

"Pit Bulls are the number one canine killer of people, pets, and livestock every year. The trend in animal shelters and rescue groups to promote fighting breed dogs as 'safe family pets' is resulting in an epidemic of serious injury and death", said Ann Marie Rogers, founder of the group.

The group says pit bulls are over-represented in animal shelters and cruelty cases.