31-03-2025
Kent County Animal Shelter: Watch out for pet surgery phone scam
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Kent County Animal Shelter is warning pet owners about a new scam targeting people who have lost their pets.
Scammers are mirroring the shelter's phone number and contacting people who have posted about their lost pets.
'Do not fall for this!' the shelter said in a post on Facebook. 'KCAS will never ask for money over the phone. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and contact us directly.
One community member said she recently got a call from what appeared to be the shelter's number. The caller claimed that her missing cat had been hit by a car and needed emergency surgery. She said the person on the phone told her the surgery would cost more than $4,000 and pressured her to pay immediately.
Angela Hollinshead, the director of the Kent County Animal Shelter, said scammers often take advantage of people in vulnerable situations.
'Scammers are everywhere and they take advantage of anyone they can,' Hollinshead said. 'I'm really thankful the person called and reached out before they decided to send any money. It's really sad that someone would prey on somebody who's missing their pet in such a way.'
Hollinshead says the scammers are likely finding targets through social media. Many people post about their lost pets on community groups and scammers can use that information to make their calls seem more convincing.
'(Social media is) a great resource to help reunite people with their pets, but unfortunately, people are using this as the basis for their scam,' Hollinshead said.
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The Kent County Animal Shelter says it will never call and ask for money over the phone. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up, search for the shelter's number and then call yourself to verify what's going on.
Hollinshead also recommended using safe and reliable tools to help find lost pets. One option is Petco Love Lost, which uses facial recognition to match lost and found animals.
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