"We were flooded with calls, and the dog has already been adopted, not in danger of euthanasia. It's disappointing. Here we are getting blasted by untrue statements. The calls are taking valuable time and resources away from other animals at the shelter."
"Our shelter does not euthanize for space. We are the largest shelter in Nor Cal. As far as space or time, we are not euthanizing animals. The posts, shared in a Facebook group, claim sad-looking dogs are about to be euthanized. Shelter officials say the photos are manipulated, AI-generated photos and, in some cases, the dogs have already been adopted."
"One viral post urged people to act quickly, claiming a shelter dog named Lumi could be put down. Officials say the post is a scam and that scammers are attempting to collect donations, likes or reposts. The Facebook group 'Saving Shelter Dogs from Euthanasia' recently shared Lumi's doctored photo, using the dog's real name and ID number."
The San Jose Animal Care Center is combating a surge of fraudulent social media posts, primarily shared on Facebook, that falsely claim shelter dogs are in danger of euthanasia. These posts feature manipulated and AI-generated photographs, sometimes using real dog names and ID numbers, while many depicted dogs have already been adopted. The scam diverts shelter resources through overwhelming calls and messages, and attempts to collect donations, likes, and reposts. Multiple shelters, including Ventura County Animal Services, have been targeted by similar schemes. Shelter officials emphasize they do not euthanize animals for space constraints and clarify that viral posts misrepresent their policies and practices.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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