Huge Sampson; adorable and nimble Angus; strikingly handsome Kaiser; springy little Miss Olive and our own funny Sugar all showed up to check out Lake Calhoun on one of the nicest summer days in a long time. Our little group of black dog ambassadors DID get some attention, and we handed out more than one startseeingblackdogs.com business cards to passing black dog owners.


Kaiser stole the show with his unusual good looks. We heard a lot of “what kind of dog IS that?” If Kaiser could answer, I think he’d say “the lucky kind.” Owner Chris got Kaiser from a shelter in Austin MN, a place where big, dark colored dogs are routinely overlooked.


The adoption chances for large Rottie mixes like Kaiser are low to slim. Ditto for Sampson, whose owners say he was ill treated before being rescued by Red Lake Rosie's Animal Rescue (http://redlakerosie.piczo.com/?cr=3) and brought to Animal Ark No-Kill Shelter ( http://www.animalarkshelter.org/) in Hastings MN. Sampson, a gorgeous, gentle giant of a dog shows no emotional signs of his hard past. He too would likely have been overlooked in a shelter because he is a “big black dog.”


Walking in the sun with these gorgeous, sweet natured dogs I am reminded of how many other big black dogs are still out there being overlooked every day. Medium black dogs like Angus, Olive and Sugar don’t fare much better. We know about Black Dog Syndrome, but the general public typically does not.


These black dog walks are one little way we can band together and turn an ordinary walk into a PR opportunity for the many, many “big black dogs” that wait in shelters every day. If we reach enough people, the plight of these overlooked dogs may influence their next adoption decision. If we get the message out they may take a second look at the plain black dog that disappears in the back of the kennel, overlooked so often that they even stop coming forward to meet new people. It might encourage them to volunteer for a no kill rescue or shelter. They may even decide to be a foster parent – a tremendously helpful way to save lives.


Do you want to start a black dog walking group in your area? Drop us a line, and/or join our mailing list. I’ll post some tips or starting your own group soon. In the meantime, pass along our website link to dog lovers, black dog enthusiasts and anyone else you think might like our message. The black dogs of the world need someone to help - why not make it us?