Pet owners and potential owners: Protect yourself from scams!

keep some info back

If you ever lose your pet, beware of those who would try to take advantage of your pain and distress to extort money from you. Read this list of lost pet scams, and perhaps do some thinking now about what kind of information you might hold back about your pet, in case s/he is ever lost, that would allow you to verify that the person claiming to have your animal isn't just out to rip you off. Apparently the Trucker-Has-Your-Dog scam is on the upswing; Western Union even has a warning on their site (PDF) about this rip-off.

And if you are thinking of getting a dog, there are hucksters just lining up to prey on you as well. Check out some of the various ways you might get scammed here.

I also noted this article about two women who evidently responded to ads looking for temporary pet care, who left all the dogs in an abandoned house with no food or water, or care of any kind.

And be sure that inventive minds are even now plotting new and unforeseen ways to take advantage of kind-hearted pet lovers, so be careful and be smart.