In Uganda, there is a terrible scam in which criminals disfigure dogs and pretend to be an animal welfare organization helping them in an attempt to make money.
Typically, scammers will intentionally harm dogs, film their pain, then use the footage to trick animal lovers like you into donating to help care for them. Of course, all funds raised just line the scammers’ pockets, and the dogs are left to suffer.
Dogs are being tortured for profit in Uganda.
The center of this horror is Mityana, which has become infamous for fake dog shelters. Dogs are kidnapped from the streets or stolen from owners and crammed into filthy huts, then deliberately starved, beaten, burned and injured to create emotional content for social media.
Behind every broken leg is a deliberate act of cruelty. In Mityana, Uganda, dogs are intentionally starved and injured to solicit donations from animal lovers. Source: We Won’t Be Scammed
Gentle dogs are often targeted because they are less likely to resist or fight back.
According to the reputable British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) recent exposé, more than $730,000 (£540,000) has been raised for “animal shelters” in Uganda over the past five years through hundreds of online GoFundMe fundraisers, with nearly 40% linked to Mityana.
An estimated 700 animals are still trapped in these scam shelters.
You can help us get them out.
This is an example of content being shared. Scammers harm the dogs, film their suffering and use that footage to raise money that will never reach the animals they exploit. Source: We Won’t Be Scammed
We are working with three trusted partners – We Won’t Be Scammed (WWBS), Animal Lifeline Uganda Shelter (ALU) and the Animal Justice Centre (JAC) – to help end this cruelty.
So far, our partners have rescued 70 dogs through undercover operations, vetted local teams and trusted Ugandan veterinarians. Local volunteers monitor suspected scam shelters and intervene in cases of severe neglect. Rescued animals are cared for at ALU, but the shelter urgently needs more infrastructure to meet the growing demand.
JAC is also pursuing private prosecutions in Uganda’s courts, using fraud and money laundering charges to secure stronger penalties for scammers when animal welfare laws fall short.
Together, we can rescue abused animals and bring criminals to justice.
Thanks to undercover operations and trusted local teams, some dogs have escaped the cruelty they once knew and finally found safety. Source: We Won’t Be Scammed
One alleged ringleader has already been arrested as part of an ongoing case led by our partners. But hundreds of scammers are still operating — still capturing dogs, still torturing them, still profiting from cruelty.
We cannot let this continue. We cannot stand by while helpless dogs suffer unimaginable abuse when we have the power to stop it.
Your support today can help fund urgent rescues, food, veterinary care, safe shelter and the legal action critically needed to shut these scammers down for good.
Here is how your donation can help right now:
- $20 (£15) provides one week of food and care for a rescued dog
- $50 (£37) supports emergency rescue operations for dogs in immediate danger
- $90 (£67) covers vaccination and sterilization for a rescued dog
- $500 (£372) helps expand shelter capacity so more abused dogs can be rescued
- $1,000 (£743) helps fund legal action to stop cruelty at its source
Some dogs have found safety, but hundreds more remain trapped in scam shelters – injured and vulnerable. We need your help to rescue them. Source: We Won’t Be Scammed
Please donate today to help rescue dogs still trapped in Uganda’s scam shelters, give survivors the care they desperately deserve and help bring those responsible for their suffering to justice.
