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I would like to thank the Utah Legislature for defending dog owners by passing HB97 ("Bill to remove ban on pit bulls passes," Tribune, March 13) and respond to Shane Franz's Public Forum letter of March 13, "Let cities ban pit bulls."
Franz demonstrates the kind of ludicrous, bigoted thinking that dogs all lovers of any particular breed. Ban any breed, and your favorite could be next. It's not a dog problem, it's an owner problem.
People from all walks of life own pit bull terriers, not just "drug dealers and thugs." If I were to follow the same logic, I would want to ban all 3- to 5-year-old children from my neighborhood, as I once found two such little menaces on my property, poking sticks through the fence at my puppy.
That puppy is now a 9-year-old, gentle, loving dog, but she still fears small children. And yes, she is a pit bull.
Maybe Franz should visit a dog park or two. I'm willing to bet he would be surprised to see how many sweet, friendly pits are there. Just as responsible parents produce good children, responsible owners produce good dogs, no matter what the breed.
Cindy Sin Smith
Salt Lake City