It definitely is true. The same is true for black cats as well. As people in our society still struggle with issues of race and color, there is another kind of prejudice that affects shelter animals.Sadly some shelter dogs and cats also face additional challenges simply because of the color of their fur.

"There's not a lot of statistics on many aspects of sheltering," says Kim Intino, the director of animal sheltering issues for the Humane Society of the United States. "But I think that every person that has worked in a shelter can attest that in shelters, animals with black coats can be somewhat harder to adopt out -- or to even get noticed." This is absolutely correct.

The Durham County Animal Shelter manager, Shafonda Davis Price says "It is a sad thing to see a litter of puppies and kittens and know which ones have a better chance of finding a home because of the color of their fur."

There are various theories as to why this may be. Practically speaking, the black dogs and cats are often more difficult to market, they can be difficult to photograph and they sometimes don't stand out as well. There is also a belief, among some, that black dogs or cats may be meaner or more aggressive. This is of course not true but think of popular images such as the hissing black cat at Halloween or the vicious dog in the Hound of the Baskervilles and you can see sources for this negative impression.

I often have the opportunity to have a shelter animal live in my office at the shelter until we can find a home for him or her. Recently I had an all black cat, Samuel, who had the most wonderful outgoing and funny personality. He did get adopted but the truth is he was often overlooked while other cats were scooped up quickly. The assistant manager at the shelter has a soft spot for black dogs. Her animal companion Zero, a black dog, is adored by her and it can be so difficult for her to see other similarly lovable dogs passed over.

We often try to get people to see our darker furred animals in a new light by putting up lists such as the Top Ten Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat. Some shelters even offer discounts for black cats or dogs. Many people are surprised to hear the difficulties that the black cats and dogs face but many kind people, once they hear this, make it a point to look first at them. We hope you will too.

A shelter animal already has enough challenges. They find their way in either by being lost or given up by their owners. There are so many more animals needing homes than there are people adopting them. The odds are not always good but hopefully the odds won't be made worse simply because the animal happens to have a shiny black coat.