BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Broward County Animal Care, the county’s official pet adoption and animal welfare agency, alerted residents about a scam Thursday involving individuals pretending to be part of their staff.
Authorities said these scammers are demanding payment for the return of lost pets and, in some cases, falsely claiming the pets are injured.
The scammers use technology to make it look like the calls are coming from BCAC.
BCAC said that they will never ask for payment over the phone or through unofficial channels. If someone contacts you requesting money for your pet’s return, it’s a scam.
“We work to reunite lost pets with their families and never charge fees for this service over the phone,” said BCAC Director Doug Brightwell. “If you get such a call, contact authorities immediately or call us at 954-359-1313. We also remind pet owners to keep their pet registration up to date.”
Pet owners searching for their lost pets should only use BCAC’s official resources, including the website: www.Broward.org/Animal, official phone lines or call 311.
For more information, contact BCAC’s public information officer, Zachary Rinkins, at zrinkins@broward.org or 954-654-9836.