Dubai: If you’ve shied away from a black dog or cat, here’s something that will surely change your mind.
On February 7, a Dubai-based animal group is bringing together over 20 abandoned black dogs and cats from various animal shelters to debunk the myths surrounding them and put them up for adoption.
Hayley Strifler, coordinator of the Dubai Senior Dog Project, told XPRESS: “Black cats are not unlucky any more than black dogs are aggressive. There is an obsession almost for light-coloured pets in this region. Because of these misconceptions, there are no takers for black dogs and cats. We wanted to do something to change this mindset.”
WRONG PERCEPTIONS
A certified dog trainer, Strifler said: “There is no research-based evidence to suggest that black dogs are more aggressive than dogs of other colours. Moreover, we would never put up an aggressive animal for adoption.”
She said seven animal groups have so far confirmed their participation in the event. “So far, we have nine dogs and 13 cats from six organisations besides us. The others include 38 Smiles, Sandy Paws, Bin Kitty Collective, Animal Action Abu Dhabi, United Animal Helpers Society and the Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre.”
While entry to the event is free, potential adopters of very young pets who have not yet been vaccinated or neutered will have to pay for these procedures at a cap of Dh500. “We will not be taking this money. It will be held by the concerned vet until the pets are ready for the procedures,” said Strifler.
Expected to be a fun-filled event, Black Friday’s organisers are going all out to give it a lighter touch.
Common myths:
Black dogs are considered nocturnal apparitions and associated with death in many folklores. Believed to be aggressive, they are portrayed as being large with large, glowing eyes. Similarly, some folklore surrounding black cats looks upon them as evil omens. But the adoption day hopes such beliefs will be a thing of the past.
Facebook page: The Facebook promos list at least eight fun reasons why someone should adopt a black pet. “Black is in fashion and very slimming – holding you cat will make you extra thin … Save time on your date night. You won’t need the lint brush on your little black dress … Luck shmuck. Owning a black cat makes you immune to bad luck. Love knows no colour … black pets are the least likely to be adopted and need your love the most … and so on.”
WHAT: BLACK ADOPTION DAY WHERE: Pet Zone Veterinary Clinic, Shaikh Zayed Road WHEN: February 7; 3 pm to 6 pm
