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Furries Fill Downtown For 8th Year

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- From every color of the spectrum and every corner of the imagination comes the inspiration.

"I just mixed a whole lot of things I like and there you go," said Kyro Dragoon from Tampa, Fla. "Dragon, cat, rabbit. Yup."

"These are the most creative, most inventive people that I have ever run into," said Anthrocon Board Chairman Dr. Samuel Conway.

And they come from every walk of life.

"We've got scientists such as myself, we have teachers, we have military professionals, we have students we have office workers, we have factory workers, we have police officers, we have firefighters, we have sailors, you just name it," said Conway.

Back in Pittsburgh for their eighth year, tomorrow they will go for the world record for the most full suited furries ever assembled in one place – 1,100 expected in all.

The motivations for some is a love of comic characters, some are inspired by something else.

"It's fun, I enjoy wearing this," said Cornwall of Hamilton, Ontario. "It's a win-win for everyone, people love seeing it and it's rewarding for them and rewarding for me too because I'm making someone feel good."

"I always get big hugs at the end and oh this is so fun," another furry said.

To gauge Pittsburghers' reactions, KDKA's John Shumway went for a walk downtown with a fox wearing our camera and a cyro cyberwolf whose custom costume cost $12,000.

These guys clearly enjoy the reactions which range from trying to ignore them, to hamming it up.

"I think it's interesting, is a good way to describe it," one person said.

The furries are actually going to be here through Sunday and you're welcome to come to their convention. You can buy a one-day membership and get a little better experience of what it's like to be a furry.

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