Fact vs. Fiction: Black pets and Halloween

It's almost Halloween, and that means that the urban legend mill is churning out lots of stories about black pets and animal sacrifice. We want to set the record straight about our raven-furred friends and why we have no qualms about sending them home around this delightfully spooky holiday.

There are tons of myths about black pets, and black cats in particular. Black cats have long been maligned by an association with witchcraft and bad luck, but even the quickest of Google searches will show that these myths are not the same the world over; in fact, there are more superstitions that features black cats as good omens than bad. In Scotland, if a black cat sits on your porch, you'll soon be enjoying untold riches. In Italy, if a black cat sneezes, everyone who hears it will have good luck. French black cats are a little more picky; they only bring good luck to owners who are generous with the kibble and treat them with the respect they deserve. If that part about the kibble is true, Dax (pictured), my adopted black cat, ought to be making me the luckiest gal in the world.

The stories about animal sacrifice are myth, as well. There has never been any credible evidence that animals are tortured or killed more during the Halloween season than at any other time of the year, and that makes sense, if you think about it. For one, the idea that black cats are likely to be harmed by people practicing witchcraft is illogical; in witchcraft, black cats are seen as "familiars" - magical companions or servants - and a practicing witch would not harm a familiar. Secondly, the people who are likely to harm animals - people with sociopathic tendencies - do not act out at any one time of the year, nor do they have any particular preference about what the animals they harm look like.

There is one true story about black pets, though, and it's true all year 'round: black pets are not adopted as often as their more colorful counterparts. Whether it's because of superstition, or simply because they're easy to overlook in a rescue full of pets all waiting for homes, black pets - both cats and dogs - wait longer for a home to call their own. At Woodford Humane, where we have no time limit on any pet in our care, black pets can wait as long as it takes, but in many places they are not so lucky.

We screen adopters very carefully before sending any pet home, no matter what month it is. With so many black pets in our care, we won't pass up a good home simply because of an urban legend that lingers in the back of so many minds. So, this Halloween, if you really want to help out a black pet that is waiting for a home, why not adopt one? You can help us save lives and fight all the misconceptions about black pets, bad luck, and Halloween, all at once. Think of it as a good investment; adoptable Dessa (pictured) can't wait to bring you all those untold riches, if you'd just take her home.

Plus, if you feed that black cat really well and whisper a few sweet nothings to it en francais, you just might end up bringing home a little good luck, too.