'Syndrome' makes it hard to adopt out black dogs, cats

Apr. 22—Adopting out black dogs is so difficult that animal shelters have a name for the problem: "black dog syndrome."

It's an issue that also hampers the process of finding a home for black cats, referred to as "black cat syndrome."

Alicia Carpenter has had her black dog Reecie since she was a puppy and knows black dog syndrome exists, but said Reecie is proof that people who consciously or unconsciously avoid adopting black dogs are making a mistake.

"She's always been super friendly with people and super friendly with other dogs and never really had a problem with our cats," said Carpenter, 54, from Danville. "All the dog lovers I know have a black dog that they've picked up on the side of the road or out of a ditch because they knew not to turn it into a shelter."

Local shelters said there could be several reasons for the low adoption rates of black dogs and cats, such as black dogs being portrayed as aggressive and intimidating on TV and in movies. It is harder to read the facial expressions on black cats and there is superstition surrounding them. Both are harder to photograph due to the color of their coats, so when shelters post photographs, they are often passed over.

Reecie is 11 years old, weighs 50 pounds, and is half Labrador retriever and half Doberman pinscher. Reecie's mother was pregnant when she showed up at Carpenter's in-law's home. Carpenter said all but one of the puppies was black. She said her mother-in-law knew about black dog syndrome.

"She was like, 'They're not going just anywhere, they're going to stay in the family, if at all possible,'" Carpenter said. "And they did. All but one, and her veterinarian wanted that one and she trusted him."

Carpenter said she believes one of the reasons black dogs do not get adopted as often is because their coat is a solid color.

"If you have several different colors, that's appealing," she said. "On top of that, black dog, black cat syndrome. Either it's going to be mean or not fun or cute because it's black. It's so sad."

Local shelters have had issues with the syndrome, but more with dogs than cats.

"Typically, I think more of the dogs, for us, are looked over if they're black as opposed to the cats," said Morgan County Animal Control Officer Angie Kulick. "They don't stand out like other ones. You get some that have blue eyes and their coat is a unique color, like a champagne or something; they love that. It really stands out; it pops. I think the black ones, they just don't really stand out."

Black dogs are not more likely to be vicious than other colored dogs, she said.

"You can get aggressive dogs in any color and any size."

Around Halloween, Kulick said, they have more people wanting to adopt black cats.

"I think it's just the type of person," she said. "It's a person that loves Halloween that wants it."

There are a few rescue groups who come and take some of their dogs, Kulick said.

"Sometimes, I don't know what it is, but some of them don't have a big turnover with their black dogs as well," she said. "They have to house those longer is my understanding."

Kulick said they try to encourage adopters to get black dogs and cats.

"They need a home, too," she said. "We usually, especially if we have a really overly friendly one in here, we'll try to show them first when people come in. We'll say, 'Hey, look at this one,' or, 'This one's been in here this long and I don't know why because he's great.' And we'll get them to take them outside and sometimes that works because then they really like them."

Trish McCurrie, Athens Limestone Animal Services adoption coordinator, said her shelter absolutely has a problem with the syndrome.

"I don't really know the reason behind it because we've got a lot of sweet black dogs here and they kind of get overlooked," she said. "It's a shame because they're just as wonderful as any other dog we get in, no matter what the color."

McCurrie said one reason could be that animals with black coats are not eye-catching.

"When people come into the shelter and see a black dog, they're like, 'Oh, OK.' But look at the one in the next kennel and it's a beautiful white great Pyrenee. And, 'Oh, my goodness, that dog is beautiful.' Aesthetically, the black dog may not be as good looking or whatever people think."

Photos of black dogs and cats also contribute to the problem.

"They are hard to photograph, for sure," McCurrie said. "The black cats are even worse to try to photograph. A lot of times they don't look as majestic as the other breeds."

McCurrie said it is kind of hit or miss adopting out black cats, and she worries about those adopted near Halloween.

"We're very cautious on adopting out a black cat around Halloween," McCurrie said. "We're just afraid that mean things might get done. I know it seems like that doesn't happen, but it truly does."

McCurrie said they also have a problem with their local rescues.

"They will ask for specifically non-black dogs because even they have issues adopting them out," she said. "They can't seem to adopt out black dogs easily. I don't understand why. To me a sweet dog is a sweet dog."

Shelter staff worry, McCurrie said, when they get a litter of black puppies.

"Then we're like, 'OK, a rescue's not going to pull them because they're all black and now we're going to have to work at getting them adopted out and it's a lot harder.'"

Like Kulick, McCurrie said her shelter tries to encourage adopters to rescue black dogs and cats.

"A lot of times they end up being the ones that stay the longest in the shelter," she said. "So, when we know that they're a wonderful dog and we have meet-and-greet appointments set up, we try to steer them that way like, 'Oh, this is a wonderful dog.' Because we know the fluffy, cute ones have no problem getting adopted or rescued."

McCurrie said they pay more attention to black dogs when it comes to adoptions.

"The plain Jane black pit bull or black lab, they have a harder chance of getting out of here."

—erica.smith@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2460.