Group Determined to Raise Pit Bull Awareness - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

MONTEREY, Calif.- This weekend you'll see dog lovers out at the beach, but not just any dog lovers. This group is determined to break the stereotypes and the misconceptions many people have about pit bulls.

"Every breed of dog is welcome to come and walk with us," said one organizer Terri Dyer through a facebook message Monday promoting the event.

National Pit Bull Awareness Day will be taking place Oct. 27 at Window on the Bay Park in Monterey. It starts at 10:30 a.m. with events and even a costume contest.

This is an issue that many groups and individuals have gotten behind just over the last year. In September, one author wanted to set the record straight. The Creator of the Fearfuldogs.com website, professional dog trainer and author Debbie Jacobs went to Santa Cruz offering a seminar on 'A Guide To Living With & Training A Fearful Dog' at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter.

In March, pit bull supporters in Salinas walked from South Main Street to the National Steinbeck Center and back to show solidarity for the breed. The Save-a-Bull event fought to end the abuse against pit bulls and how they are labeled as vicious pets.

At the same time as pit bull advocates gather in Monterey this weekend, a controversial event will be taking place in Tuscon, Arizona, according to organizers. It's the first national public event for victims of pit bull attacks and other dangerous dogs. Police are expected to keep the peace and no dogs are allowed.

This year, there have been several incidents in Monterey County alone about pit bull attacks. In August, Salinas police said a citizen reported his dog had been attacked by three large dogs running loose. Two of the dogs were pit bulls and the other a pit bull mix. After trying to capture the dogs, police said the dogs displayed aggressive behavior toward officers and other animals in the area and eventually an officer was forced to shoot a pit bull when it charged the officer.