Flickr photo by qnsagetyrtle

Imagine a dog that has a sweet disposition, is in good health and has no problems — getting passed over for adoption. Sadly, it does happen, at shelters all over the country.

Big Black Dogs, a moniker that shelter staff have coined, are behind the growing trend. It's a sad and unfair stigma attached to dogs who were born as large-breed canines with dark fur.

Superstition, bias and inaccurate facts stigmatize these pets, and for some, they pay dearly. Many of those who live in a shelter wait for months for a stable home and family to call their own. A percentage becomes part of an even more dire statistic: they are euthanized.

The fact is, shelters across the country find it challenging to place large breed, black dogs — as well as black cats.

Some humans find it difficult to "read" the dark faces of these animals: Their black coats can make it difficult for their facial expressions to shine through. Because of that, they often do not photograph well, either — ask anyone who has tried to snap a photo of a sweet face that seems to get swallowed up by darkness.

Last week, we put out the call to readers to help showcase black pets in the area — and perhaps even dispel the myths that surround black, large-breed dogs and black cats.

We know that there are more folks out there who love these wonderful animals. To highlight how great they are, you're invited to share your photos and stories of your special pets with us.

So this week once again, our focus and theme of Pet Photo Friday is "Big Black Dogs and Black Cats."

Participating is easy!

Simply email a photo of your furry friend to ppsa2mi@gmail.com, at any time of the week, and be sure to give a little anecdote about what's best about them. Your photos will be included as part of a very special edition of our ongoing Pet Photo Friday feature.

We'll put the series' photos into a slideshow and publish them here on the Pets section.

Be sure to include the name of the animal(s), as well as their age and city or township of residence in your email. Photos should be 1200 pixels wide and in .jpg format.

Lorrie Shaw leads the pets section for AnnArbor.com. You can follow her daily pet adventures on Twitter and subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.