A great idea.

[China_cat]

Our local shelter, now in a new facility, is having a 'black dog' week. They've found (as have other shelters) that black and mostly black dogs are the absolute last to be adopted. So they're having a week where they're giving a $25 discount to anyone adopting a black or mostly black dog or puppy.

Adoption fees at out shelter include spaying/neutering (including pediatric), all shots, heartworm testing and preventative, worming and microchipping. Plus a coupon for your first vet visit free.

[blondie58]

1. yeah, that is a good idea

I didn't realize that there was such a bias. Black dogs need love, too!

[livetohike]

2. It is a great idea

We've always had black dogs until Cindy and Murphy whom we've had for five years. I never really thought about it before and I'm surprised to hear this.

[Maureen1322]

3. We had a black lab for 16 yrs and now we have a black

lab/rottweiler. We never thought twice about them being black.

[Longhorn]

4. A shelter in Williamson County north of Austin has cancelled its black dog week

due to complaints. It was scheduled for the week of Juneteenth and they were using the slogan, "Black is beautiful!"

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/06/12/0612dogs.html

Thursday, June 12, 2008

A promotion by the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter to boost the adoption of black-coated dogs and cats that coincided with the week of Juneteenth has drawn criticism for being racially insensitive.

The shelter has halted its "Black is Beautiful" Week planned for Saturday through June 20 after the president of the Austin chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People raised concerns in the media.

"We apologize if our promotion to reduce fees on black dogs and cats offended anyone," shelter Director Cheryl Schneider said in a statement.

The shelter, which is in Georgetown, had planned to reduce adoption fees for black-coated animals to $25 during the week. The normal fee for adoption is $85, county spokeswoman Connie Watson said.

Nelson Linder, president of the Austin NAACP, said it was a "violation" to use "Black is Beautiful" as a promotion for an animal shelter and that the shelter was right to halt the promotion. The phrase became popular during the 1960s civil rights movement as a way to promote equality and African American self-esteem.

"I don't think it was intentional, just not very well planned out or considered," Linder said.

[China_cat]

5. Our shelter isn't using that phrase but I don't think

anyone will be offended by the promotion since it is the brain-child of an African American board member.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

6. Geez, does the NAACP have a copyright on that phrase ? n/t

[Longhorn]

7. They never really explain the "violation" in the article.

I think the objection is pretty silly but Williamson County is pretty red and their motives will be a bit more suspect, even if it's not fair. Then again, it might have been a shrewd publicity stunt! More people probably heard about this than the actual promotion.