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Animal House: Black Dog Syndrome

Maja Dumat
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Flickr via Creative Commons

A troubling problem among animal rescue groups is challenging them to overcome a particular prejudice that can have deadly consequences for animals up for adoption. Learn more in our regular series, Animal House.

Credit Valerie Wellin / Wish Bone Canine Rescue
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Wish Bone Canine Rescue
Bert, available from Wish Bone Canine Rescue, is the Animal House Pet of the Week.

* Lighter colored animals get adopted more quickly than black animals.

*Black animals spend more time at the shelter, and therefore are more likely to be euthanized.  

*Black animal's features are harder to discern when they are in a dark kennel at the shelter.

*Photographers have to light black animals carefully to bring out their cute facial features.

*Many rescue groups have special adoption events just for black animals.

*Superstition can play a role in black animals not getting adopted.

*The bottom line is:  the color of the animal has no bearing on its personality and all pets deserve a loving forever home.

Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.