Lost or Stolen Pet Scams
Americans love their pets and consider them to be family members, which makes it all the more devastating when a pet goes missing. Each year over 60,000 pets are lost - or worse – stolen for medical experimentation, dog fighting, and puppy mills. Knowing how to keep your pet safe is essential. For example, 90% of all animals that have some form of identification are returned to their owners. If your pet does go missing, knowing what to do and what scams to look out for can make a big difference in bringing your pet home.
Steps to Take if Your Pet is Lost
- What should you do when your pet is missing? - Advice from a cat shelter
- If Your Pet Is Missing... – Steps to take to find your pet
- Recovery Tips for Different Species – Advice on recovering lost animals based on species behavior
- Step by Step Recovery Tips – A list of things you can do when you discover that your pet is missing
- Find Your Indoor Cat – A list of things to do when an indoor cat goes missing outdoors
- Pet Amber Alerts – An article on national robo-call services that help find lost pets
Dog Rewards Scams
- Scams Involving Lost Pets – Descriptions of various scams involving missing pets
- Avoiding Pet Scams – Advice on avoidance and prevention of common scams involving lost pets
- Pet Scams on the Internet – Samples of spam e-mails used in lost pet scams
- Be Prepared Against Pet Scams – A sheriff’s department warning
Bunchers
- Bunchers – Information on these professional animal “collectors” and what you can do to help
- Keep your pet from being taken – How you can protect your pet
- Stolen Dogs! – Immediate steps to take if your dog has been stolen
- Beware of Animal Bunchers! – Warning about a scam used to get pets
Class B Dealers
- Animal Dealers: Licensed to Kill – PETA fact sheet on the dealer network
- Class B Dealer FAQ – The Humane Society’s information on Class B Animal Dealers
- Who are the Class B Dealers? – A list of Class B Dealers arranged by state
Other Pet Scams
- Puppy Scams – The ASPCA warnings about a number of different scams that target puppy buyers
- Internet Pet Scams – The AVMA warning about Internet pet scams
- Examples of Pet Scams – What Internet/e-mail pet scams look like
Additional Resources
- Prevention and Preparation – Things to do before your pet is lost
- Protection From Theft – Advice from the AKC on keeping your pet safe
- Keeping Your Pet Safe – A wealth of information on finding your missing pet and what you can do to keep them from getting lost or taken
- Microchips! – The benefits of microchips and a comparison of brands
- Tattoos! – Tattooing is another form of protection against loss and theft of a pet
- Lost and Found Pets and Loss Prevention – A summary of what do when a pet is lost or found, and how to prevent it from getting lost