Rooney Mara warns of dog scams this holiday season.
The 38-year-old actress, along with her canine companion Oscar, is partnering with the Legislative Animal Legal Fund in a new holiday campaign urging people to avoid dog scams by choosing to buy a new pet from a shelter instead of online ads.
“The holiday season has always been a popular time for doggie scammers,” Mara said in a press release about the new campaign.
She continued, “With local animal shelters and rescue groups filled with adoptable animals of all ages and breeds, I hope that families interested in welcoming animal companionship will look to their local shelters and never buy one online.”
As dog flu spreads from Brooklyn to Manhattan, New York vets are issuing urgent warnings to pet parents
In a new ad, Mara sheds light on online dog scams by fake online sellers. He notes that up to 80% of online dog ads are “totally fake” meaning “no dog”.
The actress said that people often click on a cute photo of a dog with the intention of buying it online, but what they may not know is that the photo of the dog is not real and the dog that people end up with is nowhere near the picture. She said dogs from fraudulent sellers also often come from puppy mills – a place where dogs are forced to live for the sole purpose of breeding.
The way these dog sellers lure people in is with signs that show they have USDA certification and medical guarantees, which are sometimes false. These sellers often also offer a loan to buy the dogs, which have hidden high interest rates “up to 199% in some cases,” she said.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1113x216:1115x218)/rooney-2-mara-puppy-appeal_0906-cdd183852ed64e949c35ed21ea656bbc.jpg)
Rooney Mara stars in an advertising campaign against dog fraud.
Amanda Demme
The dogs are then shipped to the customer by “unregulated courier service” thousands of miles and “without food and water for days without interruption”. “They are often traumatized, lethargic, dehydrated, even life-threatening,” she said in the ad.
The best dog supplies in 2023, tested and reviewed by dog owners
The actress said people don’t realize they’ve been scammed until they get the dog, as the dogs they receive are “underweight” or “injured” or even “suffering from medical conditions including fatal diseases such as [parvovirus]”, which can lead to expensive veterinary bills. “Yes, there is a lot of ugly behind that cute picture [of a dog]Mara said.
The Legislative Animal Legal Defense Fund noted that many of these fake ads come from websites like Craigslist under the guise of “rehoming” pets, but are actually fake sellers trying to sell sometimes “terminally ill dogs to families.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(943x388:945x390)/rooney-mara-puppy-appeal_0908-4631e89dc7304e18842f67a941deaef3.jpg)
Screenshot from an ad for what to look out for in a dog scam.
Aldlf.org
“Whether they’re selling sick puppies or falsely advertising animals that may not even exist, online fraud criminals are completely focused on making a profit without regard for the welfare of animals,” said Legislative Animal Legal Fund Executive Director Kim Kelly in a statement. for the public. Buying animals online should be avoided at all costs, no matter how repulsive the seller appears.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Legislative Animal Legal Defense Fund noted that “the easiest and most affordable way to avoid online scams” is to adopt a pet from a reputable rescue organization or local animal shelter.
“Adoption will provide a home for an animal in need, while denying unethical traders the opportunity to defraud,” the organization said.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education