ON THE RISE: AI SCAMS INVOLVING SHELTER DOGS OR LOST PETS
I wanted to bring your attention to these very concerning trends involving rescues/shelter pets and lost pets.
RESCUE/SHELTER PETS SCAMS
Fake rescues have been around for a long time. They set up fake scenarios, or pretend to run a shelter somewhere remote, begging for donations. Now with the help of AI, their content is becoming nearly indiscernible from real rescue efforts. Some videos are becoming more emotionally jarring too, which leads people to donate in a knee-jerk reactions.
One trend involves fake pages spreading stories of dogs about to be euthanized. This happened in the Bay Area in late February 2026 for example and at the Ventura County Animal Services too.
A fake Facebook page is spreading lies about dogs about to be euthanized. These posts are getting thousands of likes and traction, people pledging donations. The shelter has gotten hundreds of calls from angry community members who are distraught at the idea of these dogs being euthanized.
In this case, this Facebook page is posting AI-generated photos of sometimes real shelter pets, claiming these dogs are on the euthanasia list.
They use real ID numbers and shelter info. But the information is untrue: these dogs are not at risk, some are not real, and as a matter of fact, some have already been adopted.
Some of the comments under the warning post shared by my local shelter were very revealing: “lol. I mean… if it gets more pets adopted…” or “He’s still a real shelter dog isn’t he? I don’t mind at all if they take a REAL shelter dog and AI it to bring attention.”
In my opinion, these are very misguided takes. First, this page is a scam. They profit from posting fake content and they are not officially related to the shelter": possibly funneling donations, or at least receiving monetary bonuses from Facebook due to the high engagement their posts receive. Second, even if they were working with the shelter, I believe that no ethical organization should use AI-generated content to present their animals in ways that emotionally manipulate the public.
Lost pets scams
Scams involving lost pets seem to be on the rise as well, with owners being contacted by scammers who claim to have their animals, using AI images, and demanding payment in gift cards for the return of the animal.
On the left is the lost flyer for this dog. On the right, the AI-generated image used by the scammer to get the owner to send them money.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND THOSE AROUND YOU
Learn to identify signs that a video or image is AI generated and always use your better judgement. If it seems too incredible to be true, it probably is not.
Some signs an image may be AI-altered:
Unrealistic or exaggerated behavior
Body moving in unnatural way
Strange anatomy (extra toes, distorted limbs, odd facial features)
Unnatural lighting or shadows
Elements might appear and disappear from the video
Backgrounds that look warped or inconsistent
Animals that appear “too perfect” or overly dramatic
Look for details in the image like background item (cables, windows, fences) and notice where things don’t make sense
Sound is metallic or low resolution, something feels off
As tempting as it may be, do not engage with such content, share, comment, etc. (even to comment that this is AI). Pages that push fake AI animal video usually have a vested interest. Platforms like Youtube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, have monetary bonuses they distribute to pages with lots of engagement.
Curate your social media feed to support only organizations and advocates you trust: accredited organizations, public figures, experts who have been around a long time.
Pay attention to the pages sharing this content and question their goal and motives. They usually have generic names like “Animal shelter love”, “Save shelter dog from euthanasia”, “pit bull lovers”, etc. These pages’ primary focus is in sharing emotionally gripping content, to generate engagement, and sometimes donations.
Stay safe out there! And when in doubt, remember to take a moment to breathe and step back before sharing or donating, and check the source, always!
