WA police warn of scam targeting ‘missing pet’ posters

WA police warn of scammers targeting ‘missing pet’ posters

Sumner Police and Metro Animal Services say that someone has been calling pet owners, claiming to be Animal Control, and threatening to kill their pet if they don’t hand over some money.

SUMNER, Wash. - It’s a scam targeting people searching for their missing pet.

Sumner Police and Metro Animal Services say that someone has been calling pet owners, claiming to be animal control, and threatening to kill their pet if they don’t hand over some money.

The scammers may be preying upon people who post physical fliers or online notices, containing their personal information.

Sumner Police call it a "new low" and want owners to be aware so they can protect themselves from getting scammed during a very emotional time.

"He was my little dude, he was my little Bubba," said Robery Coyer, a Sumner resident who is searching for his lost cat Bubba.

Coyer spent the last six weeks hanging posters containing information about his lost cat and knocking on doors in order to try to find him.

"One fateful night, I let him out and he didn’t come back home," said Coyer.

His social media is full of videos of Bubba, who he found as a stray in Tacoma over a year ago.

"We were walking, and I hear little ‘mew’ in the back. I turned around and here comes this little cat. He threw his little hands up in the air and I’m like, ‘Oh come here’."

Bubba’s collar was found in a park near Elm and Bonney Ave in Sumner, but the cat had vanished.

"He’s my little dude, he’s my little buddy," said Coyer.

Metro Animal Services says posters and online posts like Bubba’s may be attracting pet scammers. Although Robert hasn’t been victimized, others searching for their pets have been targeted.

"Unfortunately, that gives scammers everything they need to know to call and try to get some money out of you at a very horrible time," said Carmen Palmer, Metro Animal Services spokesperson.

Palmer says scammers have targeted one or more pet owners in the seven-city area that Metro Animal Services serves. Metro’s service area includes Sumner, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Algona, Pacific, Milton and Edgewood.

"We were reported directly about a phone call, one of the other staff at Metro said they’ve been anecdotally hearing about text messages," said Palmer.

She says the scammer reportedly calls the potential victim and says that they’re an animal control officer, claims to have your missing pet, then demands payment for a safe return.

"The person says they have their missing pet, and they will return it, but then there is a threat that they must pay money or the person will kill the animal," said Palmer.

Palmer says Metro Animal Services would never threaten the life of your pet.

"If you have a missing pet, call your local animal control anyway. They are the ones out there looking at pets, getting calls in, so give them a call," said Palmer. "We are here to reunite people with pets. It seems like a new low for people to be using our name or our title to try to scam money out of people."

Palmer says Metro Animal Services is successful at reuniting owners with their lost pets. In 2023, she says Metro helped 187 lost pets find their owners. If your pet goes missing, Palmer says to call Metro Animal Services at 253-299-PETS. You can also call that number to report a suspicious call or text.

Coyer is asking anyone who’s seen Bubba to reach out. Meantime, he says he’ll be cautious of scammers as he searches for his beloved pet.

"That would wrench my heart. It would. To have that kind of hope, only to be bamboozled," said Coyer. "When it comes to something like your only pet, or just any pet for that matter, for somebody to come and fake that they have it, and they really don’t, that’s crossing the line."