She keeps being overlooked in kennels due to the colour of her fur - but she hopes somebody will see through her appearance and give her the chance she deserves. One-year-old Suzanne was taken in by Barking Mad Dog Rescue in September but hasn't been able to win anybody over during her time in their care.
Sadly for Susanne, she is the "type of dog who is so easily overlooked" because she is so average-looking due to her black fur. It is known black dogs usually spend longer in shelters than lighter-coloured pets because they're "difficult to photograph" and have a "fear stigma" attached to them.
A spokeswoman at Barking Mad Dog Rescue said: "Suzanne is the type of dog who is so easily overlooked with that black dog cloak of invisibility.
"She is so sweet though and needs the chance to blossom in a home.
"She was quite shy as we were complete strangers to her as well as being the first visitors to the shelter for a while.
"She started to settle and within a few minutes was enjoying strokes and attention. "
Suzanne needs to live alongside a calm, friendly dog who can be her anchor as she gets used to a new way of living.
Black dog syndrome, also known as BDS, is a phenomenon in pet adoption that sees animals with black fur being overlooked by adopters - and it isn't only dogs who feel the impact, as it is known to happen to black cats too.
A statement on The Spruce Pet, a vet-reviewed website, reads: "Adopters might pass by black dogs because of a fear stigma against certain breed types - like pit bulls, for instance.
"Movies and television shows often portray big, black dogs as aggressive and intimidating, which could also convince potential adopters to avoid them.
"Some believe it could come down to how photogenic dogs are. Notoriously, black dogs do not photograph well. Lighter-coloured dogs, on the other hand, do.
"When shelters or rescues photograph their adoptable animals to post on their website or on social media, lighter-coloured dogs may have the upper hand."
Dr Stanley Coren, who works in research and instructs in psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, studied the history of black dogs and discovered how some people associate them with "the devil".
He told the American Kennel Club : "The idea that a black dog might be the devil probably accounts for the superstition in Ireland that says if a black dog visits the grave of a priest it means he had been untrue to his vows.
"This superstition manifests in what animal shelter people call 'black dog syndrome,' implying that black dogs are the least likely to get new homes.
"They argue that this is perhaps because those negative superstitions hover at the back of the minds of people looking for a pet."
"There seems to be some scientific support for their notions that black dogs are not viewed positively.
"In a study conducted in my laboratory, we had people rate photographs of dogs, including a set of labrador retrievers that differed only in colour.
"We found that black labs were rated 27 percent less friendly than yellow labs, and that black dogs were twice as likely to be rated as being aggressive."
If you're interested in rehoming Suzanne, or any other dogs under Barking Mad Dog Rescue's care, submit an application through their website www.barkingmaddogrescue.co.uk.
Do you have a story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
