  Using the parent Lagrangian approach we construct a dual formulation, in the
sense originally proposed by Curtright and Freund, of a massive spin two
Fierz-Pauli theory in arbitrary dimensions $D$. This is achieved in terms of a
mixed symmetry tensor $T_{A[B_{1}B_{2}... B_{D-2}]}$, without the need of
auxiliary fields. The relation of this method with an alternative formulation
based on a gauge symmetry principle proposed by Zinoviev is elucidated. We show
that the latter formulation in four dimensions, with a given gauge fixing
together with a definite sequence of auxiliary fields elimination via their
equations of motion, leads to the parent Lagrangian already considered by West
completed by a Fierz-Pauli mass term, which in turns yields the
Curtright-Freund action. This motivates our generalization to arbitrary
dimensions leading to the corresponding extension of the four dimensional
result. We identify the transverse true degrees of freedom of the dual theory
and verify that their number is in accordance with those of the massive
Fierz-Pauli field.
