Animal welfare experts weigh in on this behavior and suggest a theory for the myth. A Penn state study concluded that people are more intimidated by photos of black dogs than yellow or brown dogs. The participants judged them to be less friendly, less adoptable, and more aggressive. There is also the stigma during the time of Samuel Johnson and Winston Churchill that defines depression as a coal-colored hound.
“The participants judged them to be less friendly, less adoptable, and more aggressive.”
Shelters are overflowing with black canines. A shelter manager at one of Atlanta’s oldest and largest no-kill facilities predicts that for every 3 dogs that are adopted it takes that long for a black dog to find a home The public may also not recognize black dogs fates are largely sealed once they are surrendered. Tamara Delaney saw the rising problem and took initiative to be their voice. Her website, www.blackpearldogs.com, is dedicated to big black dogs, resulting in saving these animals from death row. She receives emails from shelters and rescue groups who request to post pictures of endangered animals
One reason for this discrimination is simply that they are harder to photograph. For photo centric adoption services, like Petfinder, it is nearly impossible to give the jet-hued animal that great photo finish. It is hard to capture a facial expression and their eyes. What you usually see is a black silhouette and a big tongue, which can be endearing but is often not enough to capture adopters hearts. Shelters are using other options when showcasing black dog qualities like using a charcoal background for photographs or using videos to record their amazing abilities.
What are your thoughts on black pups? Please share a comment.
Comments
Tarquin / August 4, 2016
Poor black dogs! Sad to hear that they have a tougher time getting adopted, because my two black dogs are probably the sweetest I’ve ever met!! Glad that there are groups out there trying to help.
admin / August 28, 2016
It is surprising, as a dog lover, to hear about this. I specifically share adoption notices for black pups for this very reason.