September 16, 2008

Black Dog Syndrome

Photo from Start Seeing Black Dogs

This show explores Black Dog Syndrome (BDS), defined as the "the low adoption and high euthanasia rate of black dogs in shelters." Two prominent BDS activists, Tamara Delaney (founder of Contrary to Ordinary: The Black Pearls of the Dog World) and Heather Rosenwald (founder of Start Seeing Black Dogs) share their insights about the disturbing phenomenon. Speaking together for the first time, Rosenwald and Delaney discuss factors contributing to BDS, effective strategies for change, and the animals who motivate them.

Creative and market-savvy efforts, such as black dog walks and sharp photography techniques, continue to improve the situation for black shelter dogs. Yet, as these two advocates stress, there is still much work to be done.

News links:

• Chino slaughterhouse regularly bought, abused sick cattle, ex-worker says
• Asian elephant cured in rehab of heroin addiction
• Wanna own a tiger? Website offers help, incurs wrath

Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.2 MB) and part 2 (2.54 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (9.8 MB) and part 2 (6.94 MB)