CBS 5 Interviews Jesse Freidin about 'Black Dog Syndrome'

I was recently interview by CBS5 reporter Grace Lee about 'Black Dog Syndrome' - the sad dilemma facing shelters across the country where black pets (both dogs and cats) get left behind when it comes to finding forever homes. I attribute the problem to our social constructions of 'friendly' vs. 'violent' animal, and how as an American society we've been taught that black cats are mysterious and evil, and black dogs are ferocious. Clearly, the black dogs featured here at Oakland Animal Services are not only goofy and friendly, they are the real stars of the shelter. Click on the video below to watcth the entire interview, and take a look at some before and after photos of these great shelter animals. We compare their Petfinder photos (poor lighting, focus, etc) with some quick portraits I did in the shelter lawn area -- see which ones you like best.

Black Dog Syndrome CBS 5 photographer