INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A business canceled a fundraiser because of outcry about who would receive the help -- pit bulls.

The fundraiser was supposed to be held Thursday at the Maggie Moo's ice cream parlor inside Independence Commons.

The manager on duty at the shop said it was canceled because of concern and sensitivity in the community.

Pit bulls are banned in the city of Independence unless they were properly registered.

The vice president of the Missouri Pit Bull Rescue Organization, the group that was to host the fundraiser, said their focus was on caring for the animals and finding good homes for them.

Volunteers with the organization said they had difficulty finding fundraising venues because of negative stereotypes about the breed.