Black dogs…

I may be late to the game, but during a dinner party at our house over the holidays, a friend of ours, Kelly, brought up a subject we never heard of before, Black Dog Syndrome.

Kelly, a history professor, has spent her adult years working with animal rescues and shelters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

She was smitten with Roxy, our rescued black frenchie and explained to us what Black Dog Syndrome is.

Marty and I were in disbelief but when I researched the subject, Kelly could have written the articles I read herself. Amazing.

According to thesprucepets.com, “Black dog syndrome, also known as BDS, is a phenomenon in pet adoption in which black dogs are ignored in favor of light-colored ones.

Observed by shelters and rescue groups across the world, BDS is an issue negatively affecting the adoption rates of black pets. The reason behind the phenomenon is unclear.

Adopters might pass by black dogs because of a fear stigma against certain breed types—like pit bulls, for instance.

Movies and television shows often portray big, black dogs as aggressive and intimidating, which could also convince potential adopters to avoid them. Some believe it could come down to how photogenic dogs are.

Notoriously, black dogs do not photograph well. Lighter-colored dogs, on the other hand, do. When shelters or rescues photograph their adoptable animals to post on their website or on social media, lighter-colored dogs may have the upper hand.

In mythology and folklore, black dogs are regularly portrayed as guardians of the underworld. They’re also represented as bad omens in general.

Those stories date back hundreds of years and they may creep into adopters’ minds when they are perusing the shelter. And some people believe black dog syndrome may be due to potential adopters associating the color black with evil.

Other theories as to why BDS exists include the fact that black or dark coats are less noticeable and that black dogs simply don’t photograph well and, as a result, they don’t always attract adopters.

In addition to a fear stigma against certain breeds that are often portrayed as aggressive, geographic location may also play into BDS.

While some believe it’s genuinely tougher for black dogs to find their forever families, science has not proven or disproven the theory. There are several studies that contradict each other.

In a 2011 study by the ASPCA, appearance was the most frequently cited reason for those adopting a canine.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science in 2002 found that black coat colors negatively influenced adoption rates for both dogs and cats. Researchers said adoption rates were much lower in pure-black animals.”

According to Kelly, black dogs are sometimes immediately sent to kill shelters since they have little chance of ever being adopted.

Seriously? What the fuck? What a bunch of bullshit! The more I read the more upset Marty and I became.

It made us want to rescue more black dogs even though we can’t do that realistically.

I’m interested if you have heard or are aware of this ridiculousness. What are your thoughts?

Have you rescued a black dog or cat? How can such a thing exist in all dog breed not just the so called, “bad ones?” What about black labs?

We love our little Roxy. She is such a loving, smart and funny girl. She fit into our family immediately. Nelly and Roxy adore each other and are inseparable. Roxy was meant for our family.

I have to tell you that when we purchased Nelly from a breeder quite a few Karens gave me an attitude or the cold shoulder because we didn’t rescue a dog.

Fuck you to all the Karens and mind your own damn business! We got Nelly at a time when I was diagnosed with lung disease and didn’t know yet how long I would survive.

I needed a dog I knew everything about from a breeder. I couldn’t have any surprises with a rescue. I was extremely ill and needed an animal that could offer me support not the other way around.

Nelly was the dog for me. Period.

Now, I know I don’t have to explain the whys about Nelly to anyone but have this to say, the right dog that you need at that time somehow finds it way to you and no one should ever question it or worse act like an asshole to you because they disagree with your choice.

This brought up painful memories to me of growing up in with my adopted family who all had fair skin and blue eyes.

Anywhere we went people always remarked that I looked nothing like my parents. Some even hinted if I was the mail or milk man’s child.

How appalling these comments were to me especially when I was young. How dare people say this to a young child who felt sad enough that they didn’t like anyone else in the world.

As I got older I wanted to tell those people to shut the fuck up but I was taught to always be respectful.

As I grew older, that shit went right out the window and I began answering those comments in my Jersey style way.

The bottom line is, we have one designer frenchie and one that was a stray in Houston living and surviving on the streets with her brother for who knows how long.

Both of our girls are adorable, loving, smart, stubborn, funny, playful little snuggle bugs.

They both want to be with us 24/7 and that’s what we expected when we chose frenchies as our breed of dogs.

Roxy is a badass and a protector while Nelly is a naive little princess but both have captured our hearts, our couches, and our bed.

Both of our girls were the right dogs for us at the right time no matter what their color or where they came from. These girls are our ying and yang. 🖤🤍

Thanks for reading. Have a great Sunday!