As the holiday season nears, San Antonio Animal Care Services (SAACS) is warning residents about a rise in pet scams, which often target people looking for the perfect pet gift. According to the City of Antonio, these scams can cause financial losses, emotional distress, and unintentionally support unethical breeding practices.
SAACS highlights the risks of illegal and unsafe pet sales, including those from roadside vendors, short-lived social media listings, and questionable online ads. Such sources often jeopardize animal health due to inadequate veterinary care, inbreeding, poor socialization, and potential diseases or congenital issues that can result in expensive treatments. San Antonio law prohibits the sale of animals on roads, in parking lots, and other unauthorized public spaces, requiring breeders to display proper litter and seller permits. Local pet stores are also required to source animals only from local shelters or rescues, preventing support of out-of-state puppy mills.
Online pet scams surge during the holidays, with fake breeder websites using stolen photos to lure buyers. Victims can lose significant money before realizing the pet does not exist. Warning signs include requests for deposits or delivery fees through services like Zelle, CashApp, or Venmo, and sellers who avoid live video calls with the pet. SAACS also notes an increase in lost-pet extortion scams, where scammers claim to have found a missing pet and demand payment for further information.
SAACS advises residents to be cautious of sellers operating in illegal or questionable locations and to watch for inconsistent fees, requests for payment via gift cards, or evasive behavior. Buyers should trust their instincts when sellers seem aggressive or overly eager. SAACS recommends using the shelter’s lost-pet report system and verifying found-pet claims with specific photos or videos before taking further action. Anyone suspecting illegal pet sales or falling victim to a pet scam is encouraged to report it to local authorities through the 3-1-1 system.
The safest option is to adopt pets from reputable sources. This ensures animals have received proper medical care, including vaccinations, microchipping, and spaying or neutering, maintaining the welfare and health standards upheld by local shelters such as SAACS and its certified rescue partners.
