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.
