You’ll recall that some people have problems mentally separating African-Americans from apes, and that that link can lead to some negative things for blacks, like imprisonment, slander and being killed. Now, black dogs have become entangled in a similar though more peculiar web, in which prejudice, color and the animal kingdom all coincide.
To the uninitiated, the idea seems so strange — doggie discrimination? But among those in animal rescue circles, the phenomenon is commonplace enough to have earned its own name: “black dog syndrome.”
“There’s not a lot of that type of statistics on many aspects of sheltering,” says Kim Intino, the director of animal sheltering issues for the Humane Society of the United States. “But I think that every person that has worked in a shelter can attest that in shelters animals with black coats can be somewhat harder to adopt out — or to even get noticed.”
No, this article isn’t biting satire – we checked – but it could be. Take, for instance, what happens at some kennels when black dogs go unnoticed for too long: “they tie pink ribbons around the necks of the girls, and fasten big bow ties around the necks of the boys.” Doggie bling! “In our kennels, the black dogs are all decked out,” says the head of the Los Angeles SPCA. Who knew kennels had so much in common with rap videos?
Other Swiftian passages include:
• “They’re the hardest to adopt out, they’re in the shelters the longest and therefore, they’re most likely to be euthanized if nothing happens”
• “It’s mostly an unconscious thing…which may explain why black cats have the same problems finding a home. People who are aware of superstitions about black cats (don’t let them cross your path!) may also be unconsciously harboring superstitions about black dogs.”
• “Sometimes if a potential adopter sees a whole row of black dogs, they think, ‘Maybe they’re not being adopted for a good reason. Maybe there’s something wrong with these dogs’”
Don’t fret, though, there’s a happy ending. Not all pet adopters are bigots, some even get kennel fever. Says one woman happy with her big, black dog, “If and when I get another dog, I will probably deliberately look for another black dog…Bring ‘em my way, because I love ‘em.”
Editor
Maybe black people & black dogs should unite and create the ultimate black race. blackblackblackblacketyblackblackblack
I volunteered for the SPCALA for years and I never noticed that. I mean, it’s not like there are a lot of black dogs anyway. Maybe I didn’t notice b/c I have an affinity for black animals…had a black bull mastiff for many years and my cat, Napoleon, is black.
Black cats are harder to adopt out b/c of the bad luck stigma they have.
BMD,
That’s the fun of having a black cat. Scare people with it and tell people you’re a witch.
I had a bf ask me that once. I have lots of books on voodoo, wicca and other occult stuff (along with my cat) and my ex was hella scared to sleep at my house when he first met me. LOL. Stupid.
this is such a stupid topic. now Black people comparing themselves to animals???
WTF?????
My German Shepherd-Golden Retriever mix was cream colored and hated black males 15-25.
I’ll co-sign with the above. This topic is absurd.
Gorgeous Black Women
I have an all black lab/golden mix and never thought twice about his color when I adopted him.
Is this new??? I’ve noticed this for ages. The color “black” is a word that carries a lot of negative symbolism. It’s interpreted as bad, evil, ominous, mysterious, dangerous, sneaky, etc. So why wouldn’t it effect our subconscious or way of thinking in some way?
Hmm. I see black labs and black lab mixes and black standard poodles (no minis) and black Scotties around. Pure black isn’t seen in too many breeds or mixes.
All-black cats I can readily believe have a harder time, though I adopted one because I had had a black cat as a child.
It’s a tossup which is worse, black or pale fur, and I suppose it depends on your wardrobe and upholstery/rug colors. Dark tabby is the worst of all worlds, since there are black and white bands on all the guard hairs (that’s the cat I have now). No matter what you wear, you can see the fur on it.
Why is this post absurd? In traditional Western culture, the colour black symbolizes bad and evil things, while the colour white symbolizes purity and goodness. You also see this played out in the Lord of the Rings movies.
It’s possible that one factor of discrimination against black people and black dogs is the discrimination against the colour black. It would not be the only reason, of course, but it’s a possibility because of subconscious associations.
I spent years volunteering for an animal shelter, and trust me, black dog syndrome is real. Any black dog lab-sized or bigger is likely to wait in the shelter for upwards of a month. Shelters and rescuers have known about this phenomenon for years- the public is largely unaware of it, though. There’s lots of theories as to why it happens- black dogs aren’t “flashy” enough (no markings or “cool” colors), they’re “intimidating”, it’s harder to read their facial expressions, etc. The truth is, no one really knows- we just know that it sucks to be a black dog in the shelter system.