It's puppy season and this means a higher dog populous at your local shelter. To assist in remedying the lack of kennel space, the Oregon Humane Society is offering a ‘Black Friday Special'.... On Black Friday (November 28th) the 
shelter is adopting out any animal with a majority of black in it's coloring for half the adoption fee.
Unfortunately shelters across the country experience a smaller adoption rate for animals that are primarily black over animals with multi or lighter solid colorings. You can see by looking at OHS's first page of adoptable dogs. Fourteen out of twenty dogs on this page have a majority of black coloring (and I'm not even counting ‘Berta' the dog they used for the ‘Black Friday Special' article).
Dogs are not the only animals with the color stigma. Black cats have known years of being affiliated with evil omens, bad luck or witches and broomsticks the superstitious and religious sort. Sadly even my own family feels it necessary to take precautions around Halloween and keep our incredibly cool black cat, Jazzy indoors.
So whether you're currently looking for a new companion, or plan to in the future, please go visit your local shelter first and don't overlook an animal based on size, age or color.
11/29/2008 Update:
OHS found new homes for 60 dogs, cats and small animals on Black Friday. Of course, there are still plenty of animals at the shelter, but this helps as a busy Saturday might see 30 adoptions.
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