Have you guys seen this? Ever since Bubby dog's and my first day together, I've had a weak spot for black rescue dogs. Sadly though, for some reason black dogs have a more difficult time getting adopted in shelters. There's actually a name for it -'Black Dog Syndrome' - where people subconsciously view black-furred animals as scarier (thanks to stereotypes like black cats being bad luck), or simply see them as being common or uninteresting.
Massachusetts photographer Fred Levy recently decided to do something about this unfortunate phenomena, and created the Black Dog Project, a series of photographs of black dogs taken against a black background in his studio. His gorgeous images are really moving, and I hope that as the word spreads about them, more awareness will be brought to the issue, allowing people to see beyond the stereotype to the beauty of these sweet creatures.
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I think black dogs are beeeautiful, so sad that there is this stigma, didn't realize. I knew about cats having a harder time. I tried adopting a black cat in October to find they dont adopt them out during that time because of halloween and sick, sick people. His photography is amazing! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness I love them all! Gorgeous photos!
ReplyDeleteAw what an awesome photo project! I'd never heard of the black dog syndrome...that is really sad and unfair! Poor pups. Thanks for the info and photos :)
ReplyDeleteBut how could anyone not love these guys, they're all adorable! Especially the second last one - I would happily bring him home today if I could.
ReplyDeletexox,
Cee
This is so sweet. I'm forwarding it to all my friends! It's a really important issue that a lot of people might not know about.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they were harder to adopt...poor things! They are adorable!
ReplyDeleteChristen
http://christenlouise.blogspot.com
Aww, great project! I'm particularly impressed b/c black dogs are hard to photograph for me. I have a hard time focusing! I'm on my 2nd black rescue dog. :)
ReplyDeleteI never knew that! How weird. I had a black and white pup when I was a kid, and now have another black pup who is the cutest!
ReplyDeletechloe
www.bythelock.com
Awww...what cuties :) We had a black dog (part Rotty) and she was the best dog ever! I've seen the cutest black Poms too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful project! My in-laws had a black lab named Pat --- best dog ever (well--except for your Bubby, of course).
ReplyDeleteI just don't understand why people choose a pet based on their colours or looks at all!
ReplyDeleteThese photos are incredible! I love them all, especially #4. I hope this project get the great attention it deserves. Thanks for sharing. =0)
ReplyDeleteI used to have a black chow chow when I was a kid. Loved that fluffy furball!
What an awesome initiative. I've been a sucker for black cats for years, and it breaks my heart that someone wouldn't adopt a black cat simply because of the color. The photos here are fabulous. Off to check out the link.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, this is a fantastic post and a GREAT project! I work in an animal shelter and write an animal rescue blog and am all too familiar with the "Black Dog Syndrome," which also applies to cats as well. You would not believe how many black dogs (specifically pitties and labs) and cats are currently in the shelter and consistently overlooked - it is the strangest and saddest thing! This project is a great way of showing how beautiful black dogs can be.
ReplyDeleteI have been a long-time, silent reader of yours for a year or two, and I'm wondering if you might be interested in sharing Bubby's rescue story on my blog? I like to share success stories of rescues so people can see how great shelter dogs (especially seniors!) can be. It would be great to feature Bubby - your video tribute to him was very sweet, and I would love to share his story to my readers. My email address is [email protected]. Please let me know if you would be interested :) Thank you so much.
Feel free to email me Chelsea! bubbyandbean @ gmail.com xo
Deletei've heard of black dog syndrome! it's terrible. both of my pups are black and i love them to death. and sampson photographs beautifully. their fur is so shiny. love me some black dogs. :) thanks for making it known!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Thank you for sharing and drawing some much needed attention to such an important issue.
ReplyDeletelove this!
ReplyDeleteMy heart skipped a beat when I read this post. It resonated deeply with me. I have an old black Formosan Mountain dog that was rescued from the streets of Taiwan. She was very frail & riddled with heart-worm and tumors. They treated her and she was brought to a dog rescue here in Canada and nobody wanted her. I fell in love with her and could see a grace shining in her sad brown eyes. I took her home and decided to name her Ruby. She really is a gem. We love her to bits. The photography with these Black dogs is absolutely beautiful... it's just like so many things in life... it's all about Perception.
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