Lost Dog Pet Scams

Beware of Scams

If you plan on hiring someone to find your lost dog FIRST check their credibility. We just had an encounter with a woman dog trapper from North East PA who's reckless attitude could have caused a major issue in an local adult community.

In an effort to catch a lost dog she not only had an associate knocking on doors without any face mask or gloves exposing the elderly to the coronavirus and was reluctant to leave several homeowners property when asked to only to return when the homeowners were not looking. Not only that but got permission from one homeowner to place trail cameras on his property but did not tell him that one of the cameras was aimed into his home with voice recording capabilities and was looking into his home listening to his conversations for a 2 week period.

This Trapper also was illegally in a wooded common ground area cooking bacon on a grill, without permission, and could have easily started a grease fire putting the nearby homes in jeopardy of a fire. The police were called on her several times but she ignored the police's warnings to stay away and then proceeded to set traps in another area on community property and ripping down and painting over No Trespassing signs. Hopefully this will not happen again but it more than likely will in other communities so beware of who you hire to look for your lost pet. Some are in it just for the money

A Few Ways to Protect Yourself From Being Scammed

Use common sense not your emotions when choosing who you give your money to!

In todays society we love our pets as they were humans, some people love them even more and that makes you an easy target to be scammed if your pet gets lost. Some people throw caution to the wind and will do or pay almost anything to get their dog back. Below are just a few tips to help you find your lost dog and distinguish if you are about to be scammed

1. If you must place an ad, include only essential information. Refrain from providing information about unique markings or physical attributes.

2. If you get a call from someone who claims to be out-of-state, ask them to take your dog to the local Animal Control Shelter ( you look up the shelter and tell them to bring your pet there) and deal with a Animal Control Agent

3. If a caller claims to have your pet in their possession, ask them to describe something about the pet that wouldn’t be visible in pictures which may have been posted.

4. Never wire money to anyone you don’t know.

Many pet owners have also had their pets microchipped as well as ID on their collar as this preventive measure has proven to be effective in bringing lost pets home.

 Scam #1 - Calls

Let me start off by saying that NOT all Pet detectives are scammers and its up to you to decide who to use

Sadly, there are criminals who see your misfortune as an opportunity to gain money. Do not give out your full name or address. If you receive a tip about your lost dog, do not send money until you have your dog back in your arms. Never go alone to pick up your dog from a stranger. Bring along one or more friends, and tell others where you are going. If it sounds like blackmail then notify your local police Dept.

Scam #2 - Search Dogs / Pet Detectives

If you receive a unsolicited phone call saying that they can help but don't tell anyone I called and ask everyone to stop looking for your dog and sometimes they will tell you to stop looking also, then chances are you are about to be scammed. An honest pet detective or search team would not and should not call you to solicit themselves

*****  One very common method of a scammer is that they have a friend or co worker call, PM, Text or E-Mail you saying they know of a group that searches for lost dogs, they do this privately so no one can see and warn you. If that's the case USE CAUTION *****

Scam #3 - TRAPS

If a trapper is charging you a daily fee and says thy are placing a trap BUT they are going to tie it open or leave it closed so the dog gets used to it, Its just a way for them to charge you for an extra day or two. If the trapper knows the dog is there its their obligation to you to catch that dog ASAP to keep it safe . I actually know of several so called trappers that use this method and call it conditioning but its scamming.

If you decide to hire a company to locate and trap your dog make sure you check them out thoroughly to make sure they know what they are doing.  This particular trapper thought it was a good idea to drag a dead deer into a trap enclosure to entice a lost dog into it, when the truth of the matter is all it will do is keep the dog away when it smells death.  Ask yourself, would you eat the food laid down with a dead animal lying on top of it?

Just look at their page and if they do not show dogs they have not been able to catch or if they are bashing other search groups there is a high certainty they are not to be trusted. No ligament Search Team will bash another one publically unless money is their first priority and not your pet! This is something you have to decide on yourselves and if you choose to use them and you get ripped-off than don't say you haven't been warned. I'm not saying they will not be able to catch your dog BUT it will come at a very high price!

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We often get asked about tracking dog services for missing dogs. Some of these services are good, some are not so good and some are out and out scams. They will cost many hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars depending on where they are located and the distance they have to travel. Some will also charge an initial phone consultation fee. Some services will require that you purchase extra products like flyers and signs from them. Before you hire a tracking dog service to help find your missing dog, please do your homework, I'm not saying all trackers are a fraud, what I am saying is to protect yourself and use common sense.. Here are some key points to consider:

Some people find this a perfect opportunity to get money from someone in a state of panic and confusion by asking for an exorbitant amount of money for their services to help find your dog, They may tell you they have a scent dog, a search dog or a tracking dog and for X-amount of dollars they will have their dog "search" for your lost pet. If this is the case use caution when interviewing them. Ask where their dog was trained and if they tell you they trained them themselves that is your first clue you are about to get scammed. If the they tell you the dog has been certified ask by who, then just check it out by a quick phone call. If they get belligerent with you then you know something is wrong. If your paying for their service you have the right to know! Ask what the total cost will be, if they can not give you an answer that will be your second red flag. If they say you need to take down all your flyers and use theirs that they can sell you well that's the third strike and time to move on.

Some tracking dog services, lost pet services and pet detectives prey on the distraught owner by making unsolicited contact with them from their missing dog flyers. Be VERY careful. Many of these are scams, or at the very least – very expensive services that do what you can do yourself for a fraction of the cost. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Stay calm, do your research and spend your money wisely.

 The number 1 thing they will tell you is don't tell anyone anything and if you tell someone they will not help, what they are doing is praying on the state of mind you are in and unfortunately 9 out of 10 people fall for it. We have been on searches where other search groups will follow the progress of the search on Facebook and at the last minute make contact with the owner, try to make it sound like they could have captured the dog already because they use state of the art equipment when all that is a Trail Cam with internet access. They insist on using feeding stations when the location of the dog is already established and they are not needed. They do this because there is a daily charge, they will say for an extra fee they can use their search dog but the dogs are not cold weather dogs they will tell you anything to make them sound legit. What you can do is check out their Facebook page and just look and see if all the posts are successful outcomes BUT what you wont see is all the dogs they failed to catch because they don't want to look bad. If see any of those things then you know something is wrong USE CAUTION

Generating sightings is the key to a successful recovery. Consider how many flyers, signs, newspaper ads or even Facebook ads could be purchased with the money you would spend on a expensive tracking dog service. According to the experts your chances will increase with proper technique and good decision making. Remember, your lost dog is depending on you to bring him safely home.

#4 Pet Psychics - Scam or Not?

Pet Psychics- like any other business has Good & Bad If you are being charged for this service to find a lost pet its probably a scam if not then its just advise and its up to the pet owner how to use the advise that is given to them.

On the Scam side: you may get a post or e-mail saying " I lost my dog several Months ago and I used this Pet Psychic and I had my dog back in 30 hours" The e-mail or post may be from the pet psychic themselves using an alternate e-mail address, some even work in groups. Being you are in a state desperation they know what to say and do to pray on the owner of the lost pet being they are in a week frame of mind. We have used their advice in the past ourselves but with no results,

See how some psychics do Cold Readings to gain your confidence and may even cover themselves by saying "I'm telling your lost pet to show themselves", what this does is cover all aspects in case someone finds your pet the Pet Psychic will say its because they told the pet to do so.  "See how Pet Psychics work" and "Do Pet Psychics Work" from The Dog Trainer or just Google: Are Pet Psychic Scammers? and see what you come up with. In my opinion forget the pet psychics that want to charge you and spend your money on something that is proven to work - Lost Pet Amber Alert or Find Toto Some people may find comfort in seeking out a psychic but my opinion is not to stop searching and use the techniques outlined on How to conduct a search page. On the other side of the coin, any information given to you by a Pet Psychic or Pet Communicator should be kept in memory while you continue your search and don't base your search solely on the Psychics words.