Another black Lab...sigh. Did you know that big black dogs almost never get adopted out of shelters. People can't seem to see them. Being black is practically a death sentence for a homeless dog. :(

Send me all the information you have on him including a photo if possible. I will need your city and state and if you can assist in getting him to the vet (not pay for it, but help out) and help get him started on a transport to a rescue who will take him. I will send out his information to people who will in turn send it out until he is posted all over the country. With luck someone will see him who can help. I wish I could but I'm full.

Another sad but true thing is that you have to play up the fact that your local pound will kill him, the method used is helpful to know. Also that you can't keep him and that you absolutely will take him down to the pound if a rescue isn't found.

It's a sad but true fact that far too many rescuers love to save lives. Many practically carve notches as to how many they have saved and will overlook the nicest dogs, even those at risk, if they are not faced with death. It's one of the aspects of rescue that makes me nuts and gets me in arguments.

My address is janegael@comcast.net

Give this little guy a hug for me -- I just love black dogs.

Jane

Please keep us posted on your 'new' found..
Did you know that big black dogs almost never get adopted out of shelters. Interesting, Janegael! I never thought about it, but it is so true of cats as well.. The local shelter I volunteer at (a no-kill one), has so many black cats un-adopted. Hummmm! That's so sad!
Anne-Marie

Thanks Jane I will be contacting you. I have class today so it may be later today or tomorrow.

I am willing to help w/vet $ (I wish my vet was more helpful with homeless dogs like couldn't he give a discount since we have 4 animals going to him and at times have had 5 (had an elderly diabetic cat who died some years ago at 19) but he is the only one in town and transport if need be.

This guy is too sweet and his tail wags so much when he receives any kindness. He really is well-behaved too and learns fast, he's learning what 'down' means.

I didn't know that about black dogs not being popular. I don't know our local shelter's method, will look for it on the internet or try to get through on the phone again, don't think they are open on weekends. Some shelters in our state still gas homeless animals.

I've posted a picture, you have to scroll down to his number FD08197.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's a pic, isn't he sweet #FD08197

Bless you and good luck. Your guy sounds so sweet. Our rescue coordinator told us that not only black dogs, but dark dogs, especially dark male dogs are not often wanted. People fear them.

Sadly, I've heard many people say they hate black cats too...

So cute. Yes, it is true that black dogs and black cats are the last adopted and most likely to be put down. Can you keep him as an outside dog for awhile till a home can be found?..He's a sweetie.

That is so strange about the black cats and dogs. I had heard the notion of black cats being bad luck but nothing about black dogs. My black cats have much nicer personalities than the crabby tabbys we have and have had.

Hi lily, yes I'll keep him as an outside dog until I can get him adopted.

Actually it is a nice custom built dog house and good shelter (for the collie that was first dumped but then got to be a house dog when we build on our extension - no it wasn't just for that but I have to admit it did factor in our timing). The weather here will be warm until October so hopefully by then....

Black Dog Syndome is very real and kills a LOT of dogs. Here's a CNN story on it. You can Google black dog syndrome and find out more about human nature and these poor dogs whose only crime is to be born black.

NEW YORK (AP) -- When Aaron Jones walks Gozer, his Rottweiler-hound mix, people cross the street to avoid them. Mothers scoop up their children. A lost motorist once rolled up the windows and drove off after spotting the dog. One woman screamed.

Kit-Kat, a 5-year-old female Rottweiler, wears a bandana at Humane Society of Vero Beach in Florida.

"He's the nicest dog I know," said Jones, 33, of Oakland, California. "It's hard to understand all the fear."

Gozer isn't aggressive and doesn't look mean or bark, Jones insists -- people are afraid of the dog purely because it's big and black. As a puppy, Gozer was passed over for at least a month before Jones took him home.

According to animal shelter officials, big, black dogs like Gozer have more trouble finding a happy home than do other dogs. Some shelters even have a name for it: "Big black dog syndrome."

Nobody tracks the problem nationally, and local shelters often keep only limited data on the sizes, breeds and colors of the dogs that are adopted or put down, according to the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"But anecdotally," said Stephen Musso, executive vice president of the ASPCA, "that's what we hear from shelter after shelter: Big, black dogs just don't get adopted."

At the city animal shelter in Rogers, Arkansas, big, black dogs almost always make up the bulk of the animals put to sleep each month. Last month, 13 of the 14 dogs killed by the city were large and black -- mostly Labs, shepherd mixes, pit bull mixes and Rottweillers, said Rhonda Dibasilio, manager of the city Animal Services Department.

It's not just that large dogs can be frightening: Animal shelters say black dogs of all sizes are difficult to photograph for online listings, and are hard to spot against the shadows of their crates and cages in dimly lighted kennels.

Older black dogs with a little white in their muzzles can look elderly. Bigger breeds like German shepherds or Chows aren't as fashionable as small, cuddly lap dogs.

Then there's the reputation. The idea of a big, black dog unleashing destruction is a common theme in books, movies and folklore as diverse as "The Hound of the Baskervilles," the "Harry Potter" series and "The Omen."

Even the common sign "Beware of Dog" depicts a big, black dog, teeth bared and gums dripping. The notion that the animals are menacing is so pervasive that Winston Churchill famously called depression "the black dog."

People are often wary of dark dogs because it's difficult to read their expressions, said Paul Nicosi, the dog behavior specialist at Bide-A-Wee animal shelter in New York City. Without defined eyebrows, a playful grin might be construed as an angry grimace, he said.

"There isn't a lot of contrast between black eyes and a black face, so people can't get a handle on how the dog is feeling," Nicosi said.

Joseph Giannini, owner of the Chicago dog-walking and doggie day care service Urban Out Sitters, said people may subconsciously snub big black dogs because they aren't comfortable with what the pet may say about the owner.

"If I'm out with a Yorkie I definitely get treated very differently than if I'm walking a big Rottweiler or a dark pit bull mix," he said. "You look at the owner of a big, black dog and you might think, `Oh, there's a tough guy. I better avoid him and his mean dog."'

It doesn't help that a quirk of dark-dog biology has led to an overabundance of large, black dogs, said Alex Yaffe, who founded Heartland Lab Rescue, a network for rescuing abandoned Labrador retrievers in Oklahoma. Labradors and pit bulls are resilient dogs who tend to have big litters of five or more, which increases overpopulation.

One black dog, Coal, took more than six months to find a home despite a sweet temperament, excellent recommendations and a featured spot on Yaffe's Web site. "He was just black," Yaffe said. "That was his one offense."

The Web site blackpearldogs.com, a resource devoted to increasing public awareness of the "big black dog phenomenon," offers some lighthearted reasons to adopt a big, black dog: Their color doesn't clash with furniture or clothing, hides dirt well, and is easy to accessorize. In other words, black dogs could be the new black.

The dogs do appeal to those who want protection on walks late at night, or men who seek a canine boost of machismo, said Sandra DeFeo, the co-executive director of the Humane Society of New York.

And there's a certain contingent of dog lovers who specifically seek out black dogs because of their connection to the trendy Black Dog bakery on Martha's Vineyard.

"But either way, feelings aren't based on fact," she said. "Any dog can be friendly or unfriendly -- big, black dogs and little Chihuahuas alike.

Here is a link that might be useful: CNN Story on Big Black Dogs

I work in rescue as well, and just took over the job at our shelter of posting our urgent and special needs dogs to rescue sites all over the northeast. I would also be able to post your lab for you if you live in my general area (near NJ) Even when a situation seems hopeless, alot of dogs are saved this way!

Some purebred rescues WILL take mixes, and there are transports available for different areas, alot of them free, so keep trying! Even if it is not an official transport, volunteers can be found to "relay" dogs from area to area, like say you have a dog in Maryland that you need to get to Connecticut, someone in Maryland will take him to the Delaware border, someone in Delaware will get him as far as Pennsylvania, then someone in New Jersey will take him to NY -- in the long run, each person may only have to drive an hour or so to meet up with the next volunteer, so it is not nearly a hardship or a hassle, and there are alot of people willing to do this to help out.

I feel sad for the labs, it seems that in our area, which has alot of major cities close by, labs are very numerous at the shelters, next to pitbulls. The pitbulls seem to make up over 75% of the shelter dogs. Sadly, too many people get animals on impulse, or without researching the breed. Labs are lovable and great with kids, but they are also VERY HIGH ENERGY dogs, bred for so long to be outdoors, running, hunting etc. and if they don't get the exercise daily that they must have, and proper training, they will be bouncing off the walls. People don't realize this when they are seduced by that cute little energetic puppy, and if they don't train the dog and meet his needs, they wind up with a huge over excited dog that is hard to control. I am seeing it happen with my next door neighbor right now, they can't handle their lab anymore, he is no longer a managable pup, and their solution is to just chain him up in the backyard, which is where their last dog wound up and eventually died. 24/7 chaining is a fate worse than death for dogs, in my opinion.

Good luck, and please let me know if you would like me to post him in my area, or if a family or foster is found in the northeast, I will help with arranging or actually doing transport.

Thanks for caring!
Jen

Jane, thanks for the article. All I can say is there are a lot of weird people out there. I sent you an email, lmk if you didn't get it. I've never been a dog person, cat person instead (didn't hate them but didn't relate) until I met someone's standard poodle and really liked that dog, and of course now that we have our own dog I won't ever be without a dog again.

People who don't know our collie (he is a sable/white smoothie so they aren't sure what type of dog he is, they are thinking Lassie with the long hair for collies) are also afraid of him because he is big. Hah, he gets along great with our cats and they have no problem with swatting his nose if he does something they don't like and he just backs away.

Jen, Jane has offered to help me already - I live in north central NC about 15 miles from the VA border...I would love all the help I could get but don't know if you two would be stepping on each other toes and duplicating effort. So I will wait until I hear from Jane since I'm not sure where she is located. Thank you for your caring both of you.

I will say however I am willing to drive this guy pretty far to find him a home. I just need detailed info on what to do from experts and I'll do it.

The lab is energetic. He leaps straight up in the air when we first get him out of his fenced in area with dog house in the am.

Too bad people don't realize that their dog can help them with their exercise program...my dog exercises first with my husband with his bike ride (my husband shattered one leg a few years ago and has pain with walking but can ride a bike) and then after that I walk with the dog at a fast pace. Helps us both with our hearts (my husband has high BP and I have high cholesterol, nearing menopause), hopefully avoiding osteoporosis for me also, and just feels good. We are lucky to be in the country and have woods to walk in near our house.

Karen

Jane, did you have time to read my email? If you are busy, I understand completely, just wanted to make sure you got it re the puppy.

Thanks squirrelspur Karen

Karen, Just curious, do you live close to Reidsville, N.C.? My son moved there from Pa., about 5 years ago and loves the area....
Also, I have a hard time understanding how people can dump animals, especially if they had had them in their household for any period of time.....
I'm a cat person and help with a local rescue organization..I've found, most of the black cats that I've rescued have been the sweetest and most loving furbabies...I have a black feral born little girl that is the love of my live....People just don't give them a chance!
Bless you for taking care of this orphan.....

Hi irish, not too far from Reidsville NC. I'm in Pilot Mountain, about 70 miles east of Reidsville.

Bless you & all the folks that work with rescue organizations. I can't understand people dumping or deserting their animals and I wonder what message children pick up from that if they have kids and a pet is treated like that.

The little guy is getting along better with our dog, learning down!, and he even knows to not bug the cats. I hope to hear from a rescue organization as my signs around town and ads in the paper and internet have given no response.

squirrelspur

Well update - no response to ads, website. He was dumped.

I did connect with the local rescue organization and they will help me.

I wish my vet would offer some sort of discount as I already have 5 animals going to him (my mother is afraid I am some insane animal person with a million animals in my house) but he won't so I will shell out the $ to get all his shots. I may see if I can find another vet who offers multiple animal discounts as I have had them in other cities - our vet is the only one in town but there are other vets within a 15 mile drive.

I wish just once I could catch one of these dumpers in the act and let them know how I feel about them.

I think it should be a law to have your pet microchipped, just like it is a law that dogs must be liscensed. First time your pet gets "lost" you get a warning...next time, you get a fine. If it is obvious you dumped your pet, huge fine and so on.

Just another idea I have on how to make the world a better place for animals....

anyway, definitely look for another vet. I know there are some in my area who offer very good discounts to rescues, or even people who are not official rescues, but do alot of rehoming. Keep looking! Of course it is your decision alone to have however many animals, and it doesn't really entitle you to a discount, but on the other hand, you are bringing that one vet alot of business, so it would be gracious of him to offer you a little incentive, especially if you are helping a stray!

Well we really didn't 'decide' on 5 animals, only 1 was actually chosen. They decided on us! I guess we could have taken them to the shelter but...

The others were dumped and we didn't want to take them to the shelter which has a very poor adoption rate = death.
If you can even get them to answer their phone, which is a project in itself.

The only thing our vet offers is a rabies clinic in Sept. but that doesn't help out now. I'm just taking him into the vet this coming week as they have already found rabies in wild animals in neighboring counties.

I have mixed feelings on posting "Found" animals - now whoever dumped him has probably seen the signs and knows someone caring has taken him in. Not that they have a conscience to begin with. :(

I'm glad to read a local rescue is willing to help you out. His young age is sure to be a factor in finding him a good home.

Sometimes rescue groups get vet discounts - did you ask them about that? It is a shame your vet can't help out for a stray. I have 5 dogs that I take to my vet and he doesn't give me a discount either, but I would like to think if I found a stray and needed help, he might. He did euthanize an injured squirrel for me for free once.

But, back to your stray - it's good he found his way to you. I hope he ends up in a wonderful home.
Sher

I am really glad that my vet offers a multiple pet discount. If you bring all your pets in for one appointment for general wellness care, then he gives me 10% off. Every little bit helps.

"I have mixed feelings on posting "Found" animals - now whoever dumped him has probably seen the signs and knows someone caring has taken him in. Not that they have a conscience to begin with. :( "
We once put a 'Found' sign on our mailbox...and suddenly we had another cat dumped within a few days. No more. So now we just put the general area.
My vet knows he is a rescue but didn't give a discount. On the other hand, it is a business like any other. It just would be nice if they did. My rescue org. did not offer any info re getting discounts - they may get discounts for the actual animals they keep at their home and can only ask the vet for so much.

joepyeweed:I wish my vet did that, you are right every little bit helps.