An Idaho animal shelter have banned the adoption of black cats from mid-October to Halloween for fear they would be mistreated or sacrificed in rituals.

Other shelters nationwide block people from adopting the animals during this time of year. Some shelters also do not do white bunny adoptions around Halloween for the same reasons.

A Kootenai Humane Society in Coeur d'Alene employee told the AP that the threat is remote but they installed the policy just in case people have the urge to harm the animals.

The shelter's executive director Phil Morgan said, "It's kind of an urban legend. But in the humane industry it's pretty typical that shelters don't do adoptions of black cats or white bunnies because of the whole satanic sacrificial thing. If we prevent one animal from getting hurt, then it serves its purpose."