In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, pet owners in Houston seeking their furry escapees are now facing a new predator: phone scammers. These con artists are reportedly impersonating BARC, the city's animal shelter and adoption center, preying on the vulnerabilities of distraught pet owners. The latest scam involves a tricky operation where scammers, posing as BARC officials, call pet owners demanding a $250 "microchipping fee" for the return of their lost pets, according to Houston Public Media.
The scam comes at a time when BARC is swamped providing support for animals affected by the storm, with Cory Stottlemeyer, the Director of Communications for BARC, asserting "Barc will never ask to render any services for payment over the phone," Despite their efforts, however, pet owners like Didi, who's dog Campeon went missing during the chaos, getting a call from individuals claiming to have found her dog and requesting personal information has compounded the stress, as she explains in a FOX 26 Houston interview, "How messed up are people that they're taking advantage of people who are just trying to find their dog."
In response to the scam, BARC has issued a warning via social media strongly advising pet owners to avoid engaging in any telephonic payments, "If contact to pay money over the phone from anyone identifying themselves from BARC, do NOT engage and hang up," the organization said in a Facebook post last week, as reported by Houston Public Media. For owners who have lost pets, they recommend visiting the shelter or checking 24petconnect, an online repository updated hourly with images of animals picked up around the streets.
Meanwhile, Didi, still on the lookout for her Campeon, is offering a $200 reward for her dog's return and can be reached at 713-213-3092. Found pets matching the description sent out by pet owners. For Houston pet owners in search of their animal companions, the most reliable course of action is to visit the BARC shelter or to register with services like Pet Harbor, which provides daily email updates of found pets.
