Paw Prints March 2012
PANHANDLE ANIMAL SHELTER NEWSLETTER
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Yappy Hour Schedule inside
March 24 - Dog FUN d’raiser at Laughing Dog March 31 - Panhandle Tour de Thrift April 24 - Annual Membership Meeting at PAS July 4 - Fourth of July Parade in Downtown Sandpoint July 14/15 - Dog Town at Dover Bay Resort August 28 - Hodge Podge at the Lodge Luncheon at the Sandpoint Lodge
SHOP AT YOKES?
Visit the customer service counter and ask for an e-script card. Register the card online to benefit the Panhandle Animal Shelter. We’ll receive cash from your everyday purchases.
Shelter 208-265-7297 www.pasidaho.org
Thrift Shop 208-263-0706
The Plight of the Big Black Dog
S
itting politely in a show room are Sage and Lulu. They are calm and poised when people walk by the window. They sit and wait for “their” person to notice them and make them part of a family. These wonderful dogs have been with the shelter for over six months. Unfortunately for Sage and Lulu, they are black dogs. Although they both have a wonderful temperament and are loving pups, they are not given a chance…they are simply overlooked. Recently a name was placed on this common problem, BBD- Big Black Dog syndrome. The problem is not exclusive to dogs. We experience Big Black Cat syndrome as well. Perfectly wonderful cats like Moonpie, who is kid-friendly, dog-friendly and mellow, are at the shelter just begging to be acknowledged for their perrr-fect personality. No one knows why these wonderful animals are overlooked, but some of the theories are: black animals don’t photograph well, the expression on a black animal’s face is hard to read, and a more psychological theory is the unconscious belief that black is bad, evil or sinister. For example, society labels black cats as bad luck. This label is not unique to cats. Several cultures have had folklore tales of evil black dogs in one form or another. These superstitious ideas are encouraged and exacerbated by the entertainment industry. In actuality, the color of an animal does not dictate their temperament. These loving, kind animals deserve a warm home to call their own. At PAS, we take steps to show our black animals. In photographs we put colored bandanas on the dogs to provide depth to their facial expressions. We try to take them out of the shelter for people to see. We place them in our show rooms up front. For our cats, it is more difficult. We have tried placing our black cats in one room and putting them on sale. The sale doesn’t lessen their value, but rather provides the potential adopter a reason to take a closer look at these wonderful animals. The efforts made to help our black animals never seem to be enough. It can be frustrating for our staff and volunteers to watch a wonderful animal passed up time and time again. Education is the key. As Nathaniel Branden said, “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” So, LET’S START TALKING ABOUT THIS! Lulu, a Catahoula Share it with your neighbors or at a dinner party. Help bull dog (a volunteer us make people more aware. The fact is BBD and BBC paid for a DNA syndrome are real and A LOT of dogs and test) and Sage, cats are discriminated against every year, a retriever mix consciously and unconsciously. (pictured above) Acceptance at PAS does not mean we are available for will be complacent. We aren’t satisadoption.” fied watching our black animals passed by. We will continue to try new ideas to encourage adoptions. This summer Trinity at City Beach and Black Dog Cycle Works will host a black dog event to help raise funds and awareness of BBD. n