Beware of bogus animal homes

IN these trying times, it’s not only our fellow Malaysians who have fallen on hard times that need our help, there are animal shelters that are also suffering financially.

These shelters for strays rely on the kindness of well-wishers to keep operations going – rental, food, vet bills, etc – all these things cost money.

The pandemic has made it even more difficult for these shelters to source for funds and now, their plight is made worse because Malaysians have become wary of scammers who operate fictitious animal related-causes.

An expose last week revealed just how widespread and complex the bogus operations have become.

These scammers have raked in tens of thousands, possibly even hundreds of thousands of ringgit from animal lovers who are willing to part with their money for the upkeep of animal shelters.

Cilisos, a local lifestyle portal lifted the lid on a few of these bogus shelters following tip-offs from animal rights groups on Facebook.

The portal’s findings were shocking to say the least. In a nutshell, the investigation alleges that four independent rescue shelters that seek funds on Facebook are bogus.

These fronts have been scamming numerous people by using pictures of rescued strays that tug at the heartstrings.

Last week, The Star reported that a group of animal lovers has raised concerns that an unscrupulous party was preying on the goodwill of Internet users to make easy cash.

They alleged that the culprits set up multiple Facebook accounts and posted edited photos of animals to make them look injured, before asking Internet users to transfer money to a bank account for animals that may not actually even exist.

Four reports had been lodged so far at the Subang Jaya, Ampang Jaya and Bukit Jalil police stations.

The group, who held a press conference, said the issue came to light after social media users began scrutinising the accounts last week.

Apparently the Facebook accounts have existed for several years now and people have been donating, some even up to RM10,000.

A check by The Star on the Facebook accounts found that three of them were already taken down, with only one still active, with the latest post dating from a week ago.

One posting claimed its work had been tarnished and that it was “unable to defend itself due to legal reasons”.

Hopefully the authorities will investigate. If the allegations are proven, swift action should be taken because legitimate shelters have also been tarnished by these revelations.A colleague who volunteers at a dog charity told me that people were now wary of donating to shelters.

“Yes, five years ago there was one scam and all of us were affected. This latest one is on an even bigger scale.

“We are already suffering. I have put an appeal for pending vet bills and what we have received now is only 25% of what we would have usually received in the same span of time,” she told me.

Another friend who was donating to a rescue shelter in Kuantan stopped when news broke about the scammers.

“I’ve been giving them RM500 a month to buy food for the dogs based on WhatsApp messages that I received from the shelter’s owner.

“But I decided to withhold donations until I’ve investigated further,” she said.

Happily, she managed to get someone to physically visit the shelter and report back that everything was in order. But the shelter’s owner was desperate because people were spooked by the numerous reports and had stopped donating money.

The lesson to be learnt here is that there are genuine animal charities that need your help. These shelters are mostly run by volunteers who make do with the help of well-wishers. Without funds, the dogs and cats in these “homes” will most likely be culled.

But, the next time you come across a social media post asking for donations for an injured animal, or for the upkeep of a shelter, be cautious.

Unfortunately there are people out there who will take advantage of your good intentions. We just have to be more careful before making such donations. To avoid getting cheated, it is important that we verify the identity of these Facebook account owners.

Spend a little time checking the background of the person(s) running the charity and if possible visit the shelter and speak to the owners.

If you are suspicious, giving them money may not be the best option. Instead, consider purchasing food for the animals or pay for veterinarian charges.

Doing some research and possibly legwork before you commit to helping an animal-related cause will not only save you from potential heartache, it will also ensure that genuine animal shelters get the help they need.