Friday, October 28, 2011

Black is Beautiful


Who wouldn't think that this dog is cute? And what does she have in common with Andrea, Chrome, Cody, Ranger, Lady, Fluffy/Scruffy, and Oliver, Lucky, Shadow, Amelia and Oliver? All of them are dogs that have been overlooked by many of the potential adopters passing through our kennels. The above dog, Gypsy, is our longest term dog and has been with us for over a year. What do Gypsy, Andrea, Chrome, Cody, Ranger, Lady, Fluffy/Scruffy, and Oliver, Lucky, Shadow, and Oliver have in common? Either black or dark coats. Black dogs are the most over-looked of the millions of dogs in shelters. It is such a problem that it has its own name: Black Dog Syndrome.

People may consider them too “plain”, think they are menacing, or simply don’t notice them because their dark color makes them disappear in their kennels. It is harder to get good photos of black dogs, even with good backgrounds, so they are the leasy likely to be noted on shelter's websites. People are looking for a face to fall in love with and the black dogs don't stand out.

Since black dogs are the least likely to be adopted and therefore the most likely to be euthanized, they die in large numbers in most shelters. What happens at our shelter is we have a high number of black dogs since we don't have a set time-period for holding dogs. Two of three of our longest-term dogs are black. Only two of the ten longest-term dogs are light-colored: Giselle and Hercules.

People discriminate against black dogs without even realizing it. Please take a second look at the beautiful black dogs and take them outside into the sunshine. Interact with these dogs before you decide which dog is right for you. Choosing a dog by its personality and not through an unconscious preference for color is the smart thing to do. We think black is beautiful and if you take a closer look you will too.

Eta: Somebody decided that black looks good in their life! I just heard that Andrea has left the shelter!!!!!!! One less black dog to worry over for us worriers.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The green grass will soon be gone but these dogs are still with us.


Andrea, our black sweet girl, is the third longest term dog at the shelter. Petey got into trouble with the landlord and had to come stay with us until a new owner arrives. He was having a great time playing at this play group on a Sunday afternoon.








Andrea was still enjoying the ice a month ago when we had this play group. None of the dogs wants ice now that it is falling from the sky.








Amelia, who has blue eyes, got into a bouncing session with Hugh. Amelia is still with us also. She's darling and playful. Sometimes I just wish we could dye or bleach the dogs. We have so many black dogs because people adopt them at lower numbers than the light-colored dogs.


Isn't that weird?
But it is scientifically proven.





In the below photo you can see Amelia's beauty even better. She's only 8 months old and a complete charmer. However, she is always looking for The Great Escape!




Brass, Brass, Brass, what a dirty boy you are! But what a sweetie and so good with other dogs. With that squishy face that you want to take and smush between your fingers...
Some dog faces were meant for loving fingers to smush.













Loki, Brass' play mate in this photo, is a dog with a sense of fun.


















Briggs, on the left, went to the Carroll College Human-Animal Bond Program. Loki misses him!











Please come see Loki, Brass, Amelia, Andrea, Petey. They are great dogs looking for a home!

Thanks to Debi for the great photos!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Adopt A Shelter Dog Month



I almost missed it since it is already October 25th!!!! People who have been following the news or following us on Facebook know we have been really busy, and will forgive us.

Three of us, two who are staff and a volunteer, attended the annual Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference and Trade Show in San Diego. We had a very interesting time hearing from the Big Hats in dog training like Karen Pryor, Ian Dunbar, Nicole Wilde and Suzanne Clothier. One of our trainers sat next to Victoria Stillwell. And since the conference was in the beautiful and warm city of San Diego we ate lots of Mexican food. All while the staff and volunteers back home were working hard so that we did feel a little guilty.


October is Adopt-A-Dog Month as declared by the American Humane Association, a worthwhile oprganization that is not associated with us. ASPCA, another one not associated with us, calls it Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. We are on board for that one! You can find a four-footed friend and never lack for a happy-to-see-you face when you come home from work.



Six years ago I went to our Lewis and Clark Humane society and looked at dogs during the half-cost month of Adopt A Shelter Dog Month and got one of the best dogs anyone could ever have adopted. Mitzi. She had been there 3 months this time.

This is a photo from our first few months together. She's still pretty perky in spite of being 10 years old this month. That worked out so well I went and adopted Lucas the next year.






Silly boy that he is, Lucas was an adolescent dog and I got him in August so I paid the full adoption fee and he was so worth it! Besides the fact that he is a great dog, the Lewis and Clark Humane Society vaccinates, neuters/spays, micro-chips and provides a certificate for a free vet visit and you take home a bag of starter food. I've had a lot of good times with these four-footed friends and ended up with another one named Slick.



















And last year I began fostering with Hercules.



Yes, Hercules is a pit bull with a large head. And he's just like most dogs we take in at the shelter. Some have issues, some don't. Regardless of breed.


Shelter dogs are the best. I hope you will always be fortunate enough to have such good dogs in your lives, too.