Many customers will walk into the adoption center already knowing what kind of pet they’d like to get. As a result, I see people going past dogs’ runs without giving some of them a second look. It could be because the dog is larger than the customer wants; he or she might have a different breed mix in mind; it might even be because of the dog’s age or his energy level. But did you know that there are many wonderful pets here who are sometimes passed over, through no fault of their own? Simply because of the coloring of their coats; all black pets often go unnoticed.

        That’s right – it seems to take the public much more time to look at all-black dogs and cats than animals with other colorings. No one has an explanation for why it happens, but almost every animal shelter sees the phenomenon. Shelter managers have to come up with ways to counteract this problem. Many humane societies have come up with promotions to raise the dogs’ visibility. Recently I heard of another humane society that advertised half-off adoptions of what they referred to as “Big Black Dogs,” or “BBD’s.” Here at the Richmond SPCA, we try to spread out the kennel spaces of our predominantly black dogs, so there’s no possibility that the public will overlook multiple animals.

        The problem caused by this phenomenon is that many dogs and cats will take much longer before someone takes the time to visit with them. I own two black dogs myself: a lab/pit mix and a lab/hound mix. People approach me when I’m walking them to ask me if they’re brother and sister, and I have to break the news to them that not every all-black canine is a Black Lab. It’s clear that this is still a very misunderstood group of pets, especially since many people don’t realize that they are in a group of their own. The next time you come into our center, take a long look at one of our all-black dogs or cats. It might just be the best adoption decision you could ever make.

Today’s blog author is Patrick Hawkins. Pat is the adoption center coordinator at the Richmond SPCA.

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