It’s such a sad statement but the truth is that dogs and cats that are born with black coloring are the last to be adopted. Is there any type of logical explanation for this fact – of course not. This is a status that is well known by shelter volunteers and staff. It is referred to as the “black dog syndrome”.
Shelters have guessed at a couple of possible reasons. 
There’s the bad luck superstition associated with black cats. Black animals are much more difficult to photograph. It’s hard to see their distinguishing features. People also associate black with things sinister so perhaps they assume the dog will be on the aggressive side. Their first impression may be a negative one only based on the color of the dog. Movies and TV don’t help discourage this misconception. Dangerous dogs are usually portrayed by large dogs with dark fur.
The photographers that volunteer their time to shelters say that photographing black dogs are the biggest challenge. A bad photo can give the impression of a mysterious and ominous animal. They try to get the animal to pant so that the dog will look like it has a smile for its photo.
The problem is such an issue that some shelters even offer a reduced adoption fee for adopting a black dog or cat. Shelters will also add light colored blankets to brighten up their area and give them a less menacing impression. They may even dress up the black dogs and cats to create better photos ads and shelter websites. Adding a colorful bandana to soften the first impression the dog makes to visitors. Making the dog look sort of goofy might change the attitude of some potential adoptive families.
Some of the shelters make a point of having staff interact with black or dark colored cats and dogs while visitors are on the premises. They want to demonstrate to the public that dark colored dogs and cats are just as loving and sweet as their multicolored brothers and sisters.
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