Scott Warner

Dr. Asplund
English 2010
Black Dog/Cat Syndrome

There are many various animals that need homes. Each one has its own personality and
physical characteristics. There are people who are going out to adopt an animal daily but they are
not getting to see this. When people go to shelters they are seeing the different color pattern, the
orange cat on a blanket, the bright white dog in the corner. Most people tend to judge an animal
by what color they are. All the people in the shelter and all the animals want is To be judged
based on the content of its character, not the color of its fur. (Terri, 2011)
According to Kim Saunders, the Vice President of shelter outreach for Petfinder.com,
Black dogs, especially the big black dogs, and black cats take longer to get adopted, (Terri,
2011). There are many different factors that come into play in making this statement true. One of
the leading factors is how the entertainment industry always portrays the darker animals and the
different folklore we have as a society and the curses that come along with a black cat.
The media tends to portray black dogs as the
mean snarling dog or devil dog and the dark cats
are always alongside the witch. While on the other
hand, you have the lighter dogs being the family
friendly dog like Lassie or Beethoven. It could be
because we are so use to seeing these darker
animals portrayed this way that when we do see
one, we subconsciously judge them based on these different movies.
The way that we should be addressing this would be if we added more of the darker
colored animals to TV shows, movies, commercials and put them in a positive light. This would
help to take away that negative label that we have stuck on to them due to the media.
There is a new study that is published by UC Berkeley that surveyed people who said
they adopt an animal based on its personality rather than the color of its coat. The study shows
that color consciously or unconsciously plays a key role. Black cats were typified as having
less extreme character traits, which
might contribute to their mysterious
reputation. (Anwar, 2012) In other
words people thought that the black
cats were boring. In shelters people
tend to gravitate towards the animals
that are radiating cuteness.
There are some shelters that are trying to change the way that we see darker colored
animals by adding special lighting to their enclosures. This is a great idea because they wont be
lost in the shadows anymore and when people see them they wont see the ominous eyes staring
out from the darkness.
Most people this day in age are turning to the internet to search for the pet they want to
adopt. Many shelters post pictures of what animals they have at the moment but a picture is
worth a thousand words. Some of the darker animals dont photograph well because you are not
able to see the facial characteristics which, puts them at a greater disadvantage than the other
animal. When looking at an animal online, dont rule them out just because of a bad photograph.
In conclusion, when you go to pick out an animal or search the web, do not just rule out a
darker colored animal because the picture you saw did not show their personality. You should go
visit the shelter and play with different colors and breeds so that you will get the right
personality. You should not jump to conclusions about an animal based on the color of its fur,
but the contents of its character.












Works Referenced



Terri, P. (2011, october 12). Are black pets less likely to be adopted?. Retrieved from
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/10/12/are-black-pets-less-likely-to-be-adopted/

Anwar, Y. (2012, october 23). Dont be so fast to judge a cat by its color, study warns. Retrieved
from http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/10/23/cat-color/

Cohen, A. (2012, october 24). Poll: Black cats are 'bad luck' and how fur-color stereotypes
affect adoption rates. Retrieved from http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-
two/2012/10/24/28989/black-cats-are-bad-luck-and-how-fur-color-stereoty/

Dahl, M. (2008, March 08). Black pups face doggie discrimination. Retrieved from
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23472518/ns/health-pet_health/t/black-pups-face-doggie-
discrimination
McClure, M. (n.d.). Stigma and superstition plague black pets. Retrieved from
http://blog.petsforpatriots.org/stigma-plagues-black-pets/
Pet adoption: Black cats and dogs need love too!. (2009, Novemer 29). Retrieved from
http://www.petcentric.com/11-29-2009/pet-adoption-black-cats-and-dogs-need-love-too

Black cats are more than three times less likely to be adopted at shelters [Print Photo]. Retrieved
from http://priceonomics.com/why-dont-people-adopt-black-pets/

[Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l217/Shockwave_73/5-black-
dog_zpsa7e6e156.jpg