Left in the doghouse

But not all pet owners favor lighter-colored dogs over black dogs. Glendale resident Karil Drake is the owner of a 3-year-old standard black poodle named Arabela and says she wouldn’t trade her dog for any other colored dog.

“My sister’s dog had puppies and she was in the litter,” Drake said.

For 12-year-old Jaimee Hamm, the color of a dog’s coat doesn’t matter either. All that she cares about is that the animal has good temperament.

“Black dogs, their fur is sleek and they’re all cute,” Jaimee said.

“As long as it’s not mean, I’d adopt them.”

The Glendale Humane Society is taking steps to help black dogs get the attention they deserve. They are placed in kennels where they get more sunlight and no two black dogs are placed next to each other, Alyce Russell, executive director of the Glendale Humane Society, said.

Staff also post stories about black dogs on the humane society’s website, she added.

“We really know our dogs and cats,” Russell said.

“Black dog syndrome is very prevalent and at the Glendale Humane Society, when we have people spend a great deal of time with the dogs, [black dog syndrome] become secondary.”

For more information about the black dogs and all other animals at the Glendale Humane Society, call (818) 242-1128 or visit www.glendale humane.org.