In pet adoption world, big, black dogs go last

Big and strong with a face radiating pure joy, Julian sweeps his tail back and forth in a fast, smooth arc, like a windshield wiper in a gully washer.

But Julian, as happy a dog as you’re likely to see, faces life with a couple of huge impediments. He’s big. He’s black. And that means he’s likely to wait far longer to be adopted than a smaller, light-colored dog.

In the world of animal rescue, they call this phenomenon Black Dog Syndrome. For those that spend weeks and months on adoption lists. For the dogs that head off week after week to pet fairs and return unclaimed when they’re over.

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