The politics over race has ignited heated discussions across the country for hundreds of years. With the recent president’s election, many wondered if this historic moment meant racism had been obliterated from the nation’s consciousness. Though that age-old debate rages on, strangely enough, animal advocates across the country believe that discrimination can sometimes go far beyond human-specific bigotry.

A rarely-discussed phenomenon continues to build attention as the rates of euthanasia in animal shelters across the country rise. In shelters everywhere, animals are still discriminated against daily because of the color of their fur.

Big black dogs are bouncy, wiggly, energetic, and just as loving as their light-colored counterparts, but in the past few years it’s become very apparent that in many cases their fur color is what’s kept them behind shelter bars. While humans continue to debate racism between humans, it seems that our subconscious discrimination has reached as far as man’s best friend.

Dubbed “Big Black Dog Syndrome” within shelter, rescue, and animal advocate circles, this unfortunate trend leaves big, black dogs hard-pressed to find homes because of their fur color. Though according to the ASPCA (and as noted in USA TODAY), concrete studies have not been made regarding the phenomenon, the realities of what most shelter workers and animal advocates see daily seems to confirm this “syndrome” as an unspoken truth.

As reported in DOGS TODAY, a British canine magazine, black dogs that are larger breeds, particularly Newfoundlands, Chow Chows, Labradors, Rottweilers and mixes of these breeds are “euthanased at a horrifying rate in pounds and shelters across the United States…” They go on to note that “Even in American pet shops black dogs are often overlooked – which is one reason why light-coloured puppies are usually stocked.”

Several organizations have turned up over the years with fierce advocates at the helm hoping to educate the public and make it easier for shelters to find homes for these dogs. The most talked about organization is Black Pearl Dogs founded by Tamara Delaney. A website dedicated to educating the public about big black dog myths, Black Pearl Dogs was inspired by Delaney’s own black pearl, Jake, a black lab that she adopted from a shelter where he had resided for three years without finding a home; that is, until Delaney came along.

She told DOGS TODAY, “It took six months of my children and me making posters and driving them all over to advertise that he needed a home. We also spoke of his wonderfulness to all we met who were looking for a dog with just good, old ‘word of mouth.’ Then I began to realize that nobody was interested in a well-mannered, already fully up-to-date, healthy, male black Lab-type dog.”

Soon enough, Delaney took Jake in herself. Though Jake has since passed away, he continues to leave his paw print across the website as his picture is scattered about with the words “Click on Jake! He will take you home.”

Delaney told PEOPLE.COM, “I want people to become aware that when they decide to adopt a dog, they shouldn’t just look at what the dog looks like. They should find the best personality match.”

“We all know that a prejudice is a preformed opinion, usually an unfavourable one, based on insufficient knowledge, irrational feelings, or inaccurate stereotypes… You go to a movie, watch a show or read a book… what dogs are they using to show evil or fierceness? Most commonly: a big black one,” Delaney told DOGS TODAY.

Folklore and dog fighting have given black dogs a bad rap, convincing most people that they are aggressive. Other animal advocates believe that unfortunately, black dogs might look “too common.” In a world where posh, plush, light-colored puppies are being toted around by most starlets, the big black dog might not appeal to human prejudices that desperately yearn for the “unique-looking” puppies that are now being bred in ridiculous numbers.

 Still others believe it’s hard to “sell” the dogs to people when their fur color makes them hard to photograph and easy to pass up in dimly lit shelters. “Black dogs have to be specially lighted for photography and therefore don’t show up well on shelter websites, and in pamphlets and flyers,” reported Hilary Hylton for TIME magazine. Dark eyes set against dark coats also makes it difficult for some potential adopters to get a good feel for the dog’s emotions or personality right away. In an atmosphere where adoptions often happen on first impressions, these color traits leave black dogs at a disadvantage when propped up next to a yellow Labrador Retriever or Beagle.

Tamara Delaney gives great tips on her website for helping rescues and shelters make their black dogs stand out in photographs. In addition, she suggests giving black dogs bright-color bandanas to help them stand out in adoptions, posting signs to bring attention to the dog’s special abilities or unique tricks, and making sure not to house black dogs in side by side cages.

 The plight of big black dogs continues in the midst of the larger national problem of pet overpopulation. Though the odds seem to be against these loveable mutts looking for homes, many have not lost faith in their safe placement in loving homes. The general plea from rescues and shelters alike is to adopt, adopt, adopt, and if you can get past the color of a dog’s fur, then absolutely adopt a big, loving black dog.

Take a look at some of the black adoptable dogs featured on our website this Adopt-A-Dog month:

Julie
Ping & Pong
Bashful Bobbie
Alexander
Indi
Jesse James

Check out other organizations that are doing great things for black dogs:

Start Seeing Black Dogs
Black Dog Rescue Project
Black Dog, Second Chance
Black Dog Animal Rescue

And lastly, a story that will hopefully convince many to spay/neuter and to adopt, black dogs in particular (via Delaney’s website):

My Name is Sam

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