984-249-4999 -NO OWNER SURRENDERS OR STRAYS
984-249-4999 -NO OWNER SURRENDERS OR STRAYS
Black Dog Club provides rescue, rehabilitation, and training for dogs pulled from high-kill, rural animal shelters throughout the South. We focus our efforts towards black dogs in an attempt to save them from the dreaded “Black Dog Syndrome.”
According to a study by The George Washington University “Black Dog Syndrome” is a term used to describe the phenomenon in American animal shelters where large black dogs are adopted less frequently and euthanized more often than dogs of other colors and sizes, regardless of their temperament or health. This discrimination is rooted in a combination of factors. In Western society, the color black has long been associated with negative concepts like evil and death. This symbolism, which is pervasive and often unconscious, leads potential adopters to discriminate against black dogs, a process the author terms “unconscious background checking”. Adopters may feel that shelter dogs have questionable backgrounds, and the negative symbolism of black leads them to shy away from black dogs.
Another key contributing factor is the visual difficulty of photographing and viewing black dogs in a shelter environment. Black absorbs light, making facial features and expressions difficult to distinguish, a phenomenon the author calls the “blob effect”. This is exacerbated by poor lighting in many kennels and the fact that most potential adopters first see dogs online. Black dogs can also appear more “generic” than uniquely colored dogs, which drives demand for other animals.
The pups love company, so feel free to visit during normal business hours to adopt a companion dog.
1000 Freedom Road, Smithfield, North Carolina 27577, United States
Phone: 984-249-4999 Email: admin@blackdogclub.net
Open today | 10:00 am – 06:00 pm |
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