OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Scammers posing as local animal shelters are exploiting pet owners in distress by soliciting money under false pretenses.
“The initial spoof call that we got was reported to us back in November of last year,” said Carrie Hardy of Osceola County Animal Services. “We put out a post to let people know that we are not involved with that, and our most recent report was about three days ago.”
Hardy explained to News 6 that the shelter has received several reports of individuals impersonating the shelter’s number to demand thousands of dollars from pet owners.
“Essentially what’s happening is they’re calling the person and telling them that their animal has been hit by a car or injured, and it’s at the vet’s office, and they have to pay a certain amount of money,” Hardy said.
She emphasized the emotional impact on pet owners, noting, “These are their pets, their loved ones, and they’re upset because their pet is missing. When they get a phone call like that, they feel frantic and think that’s the right thing to do.”
The county has also received reports of scammers requesting donations for the shelter over the phone.
“We would never solicit in any means like that. That’s definitely a spoof, and they’re using our phone number, which it is not. People need to keep in mind that we would never do that,” Hardy explained.
Orange County Animals Services reported a similar scam back in November.
For those with missing pets, Hardy recommends filing a report on their website for a secure posting. Donations to the shelter can be made through their website or in person at 3910 Old Canoe Creek Rd, St. Cloud, FL, 34769.
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