Since the dawn of history, man has attached meaning to colors and in many cases, these meanings contradicted those of other cultures of the time. Black, for instance, has negative connotations related to darkness, mourning and magic. There are tribes in Africa, though, who consider the color black a sign of prosperity, in Eastern cultures the color has no significance, and in the modern age, black has become fashionable in dress and design. In ancient Egypt, black cats were given a status of honor, while in the Middle Ages they were persecuted and outcasts.
Don’t call me black
It appears that the superstitions ingrained in us regarding colors are also expressed in our choice of pets to adopt, influencing us either consciously or subconsciously.
One of the well-known phenomena known to those in the field of animal welfare is the difficulty in finding homes for dark-coated animals. Many people prefer to adopt light-colored pets, and often dark-coated animals are discriminated against just because of the color of their coats. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is the mistaken belief that black cats are harbingers of bad luck, a false superstition that has been applied also to dogs. Other explanations are that the facial features of light-haired dogs are more pronounced, and the cultural tendency to believe that lighter colors are cleaner.
A black and white movie
The animals sheltered in the SPCA also suffer from this unfortunate phenomenon, with dark-coated dogs and cats being forced to wait for much longer periods of time for adoption than their light colored brethren, even when other features, such as age, breed and temperament, are amazingly similar.
Black is beautiful
As part of our effort to find warm homes for all the animals who reach our shelter, with no regard to their color, the Society has initiated a Facebook campaign titled: “Love has No Color”. The goal is to raise public awareness of the subject and to encourage surfers to adopt dark-haired animals too.
During the Facebook campaign, emphasis will be placed on stories of animals with dark coats who are awaiting adoption, surfers will be invited to add a special badge to their own profile photos, and a competition will be held asking the surfers to suggest slogans encouraging adoption of dark-coated animals. The winning slogans will be published and their writers will be awarded a gift set of organic soaps from the Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps company, which has been producing natural soaps manufactured according to traditional methods, for 150 years.
You are invited to join the SPCA Facebook page, to take part in this activity and to help as many animals as possible, of all colors, to find warm adoptive families.
