Black Jack, a 1- to 2-year-old Labrador retriever, is waiting to be adopted at an Emporia veterinary clinic. He has one thing against him — his color.
Black Jack, who was brought into the Emporia Veterinary Hospital as a stray, is victim to what is becoming known in the media as Black Dog Syndrome. Nationwide, dogs black in color are sitting in shelters longer than any dogs of any other color, regardless of size or breed.
According to www.blackpearldogs.com, there are several reasons for this. Black dogs have a negative image in folklore, are sometimes seen as a sign of depression or are thought aggressive because of their color and they tend to overheat more often in competition.
Black Jack has been at the veterinary clinic since mid-June. He was found in the Americus area. MiChielle Cooper, Executive Director of the H. Dale Buck Animal Welfare Fund, said the fund is helping pay for the boarding fees for Black Jack to give him a chance to get adopted. Black Jack is very energetic and will need an active home, Cooper said.
“He’s waited a long, long time,” Cooper said. “He’s so smart. He’s just a young guy.”
Cooper said the Black Dog Syndrome has been a problem for many years, but has been getting recent media attention as rescue organizations have kept track and are reporting the problem.
“People sometimes choose a pet because of its color and breed instead of temperament and lifestyle,” Cooper said.
Foster homes with the Buck Fund can expect to keep a black or dark-colored dog up to a year without its getting adopted, Cooper said. The dogs also are hard to get into rescue organizations.
“There are 16,000 to 17,000 of these guys (Labradors) on petfinder.com,” she said. “There are too many good animals and not enough good homes.”
Emporia Police Chief Gary Smith said this morning that the adoption rate often depends on the animals’ size and breed. He said the animals that get adopted the most are dogs such as Golden Retrievers and calico cats.
“Any kind of (color) mix,” Smith said.
Smith said most of the bigger dogs brought in tend to be black labs.
“It has to do with the age, size and breed,” he said.
The Emporia Animal Shelter does see problems in other areas, including the same people bringing in litters of kittens and puppies each year.
“It’s a burden to everybody,” Smith said. “If you’re going to be a pet owners, you need to be responsible.”
The choice to overlook black animals (including cats) isn’t always a conscious one.
“Overlooking black pets is not an intentional choice people make — it is really subconscious,” Cooper said. “They don’t realize they are overlooking a fantastic animal because the color black is so common.”
Other tips Cooper offered for adopting an animal:
• Choose your new pet based on the temperament and activity level that fits best with your lifestyle.
• Steer away from impulse adoptions.
• Plan for the future — if you are going to start a family, be sure that both heads of household have the responsibility necessary to handle both children and pets.
• Remember the No. 1 cause of death for companion animals is homelessness.
• Shop www.petfinder.com first. If seeking a purebred animal, more than 25 to 30 percent of America’s animal shelters have purebred pets.
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
must explain why two of the stray dogs i couldnt find homes for- they are black but they are the best two dogs we ve had. we ve had one for almost five years and one for two years and they are house broke and good with the kids. i also like the fact that they are loud barkers and they are protective of the home. we havent had a problem with theft or vandalism since we got them.
July 16, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
We had a black Lab for years. The best dog ever. Some jerk had dumped her out in the country. She was a bag of bones. If my son was a little older and it didn't cost so much to adopt from the shelter, I'd take him home today. Hope he finds a family soon.
July 16, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
orlando (anonymous) says...
If we didn't have 2 dogs already, I would take this dog. We had a black lab several years ago--a wonderful dog. I have heard that adoption fee is high, and the process is almost like adopting a child---lot of paperwork. Is this true? What is involved in adopting a pet-from the shelter or from the buck fund?
July 16, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
adopting from the pound isnt too hard, just fill out an application with simple questions like.. does your landlord allow pets? will the dog be inside or out? just enough info to give them an idea what type of environment the dog will go to. it takes alittle longer to go through the buck fund, but their objective is to make sure the pet is going to a long term home. its been alot of years since i filled out an adoption application at the pound but those were the types of questions they had back then.
July 16, 2008 at 4:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Firecracker (anonymous) says...
Another thing to keep in mind when adopting from the Buck Fund is that for the adoption fee you pay -- your new pet comes completely vetted (spay/neuter, heartworm testing and/or treatment, vaccinations, deworming, micro chipped for identification) All services that are already taken care of for the new owner. If you were to take a critter to a vet and do those things yourself it would cost well over $300. To me the $130-$150 adoption fee is a huge bargain :-) Rescued animals are wonderful. If someone takes the leap of faith and adopts from a shelter or rescue they will find it is one of the most rewarding experiences they will have in life. Our local shelters and rescues need community patronage and support.
July 16, 2008 at 10:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USNretired (anonymous) says...
3 of our 5 were Buck Fund, Pound and Emporia vet Hospital. I paid to have them fixed and love just like the other two. If I had more time and space, I would probably have more. The only thing sadder than an abandoned pet is an abandoned child.
July 16, 2008 at 11:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
esuhornets (anonymous) says...
How would a person sign up to be a foster family for pets for the Buck Fund?
July 18, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
heres the buck fund's email address-buckfund@cableone.net
July 18, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )