Missing pets: 'Heartless' scammers targeting desperate owners

Linda received calls demanding cash after her dog, Lulu, disappeared

Fraudsters are trawling lost pet forums and demanding ransom payments from owners desperate for their safe return.

A BBC North West investigation found scammers have targeted scores of dog and cat lovers with threatening calls.

They prey on owners by claiming to have their lost pets before demanding cash.

One victim, from Greater Manchester, said a man claiming to have found her Yorkshire terrier wanted £2,000 and said she would never see her dog again if she went to the police.

Detectives in Cumbria have also told the BBC they are dealing with claims from more than 200 victims across the UK.

BBC News has spoken to several pet owners in the North West of England who have had similar calls about their missing dogs and cats.

Linda Tonge, 65, described Lulu's disappearance of as "one of the worst things that's ever happened" to her.

She appealed for information on social media after her 12-year-old Yorkshire terrier vanished in a wooded area near her home in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester.

Neighbours came to her aid, but Linda's desperation was quickly seized upon.

"I got a call from a man who said he'd found Lulu," she said. "I thought it was the call I'd been waiting for."

Lulu was missing for two days before she was found hiding in woods

Linda said the man then "reeled her in" by describing Lulu's appearance and shy demeanour.

"He then started talking about money, he mentioned £2,000 and then he came down to £1,000," she said.

"I said you can't do that, it's against the law, you need to give me my dog back.

"I told him I'd go to the police and he said if you ring the police you'll never see Lulu again."

Linda said she wanted to pay, but her daughter stepped in and advised it was a scam call.

"I was so upset - it was awful," said Linda. "It was just an evil thing to do."

After an extensive search, Lulu was eventually found two days later, cowering in thick brambles.

"I was so relieved to get her back," said Linda. "She's my baby, she's part of the family."

Emma appealed on social media after her cat Ziggy went missing

Emma Taylor, 40, from Wigan was contacted last February when she made an online appeal about her missing cat, Ziggy.

"A week went by and then we got the phone call. This man just said, 'I've got Ziggy - I want £500'," said Emma.

"I said I don't have that kind of money and his voice got more aggressive and he said, 'if you don't pay me £500 your cat's gone', at this point I was hysterical."

Emma and her partner ignored the call, but she was contacted the following week by another man demanding a £1,000 payment for her cat's return.

"I feel so angry and upset that people are doing this," she said.

Emma later gave a statement to Cumbria Police for their nationwide investigation into pet scam calls.

Operation Facade has so far identified more than 200 victims and last year one of the perpetrators was convicted of nine counts of blackmail and one of theft.

Brandon Woolveridge, 24 and previously from Barrow-in-Furness, was jailed for 44 months.

Brandon Woolveridge threatened to shoot a missing dog if his owner did not pay him £1,000

Cumbria Police released recordings of Woolveridge's calls made by one of his victims.

In them, he can be heard telling one dog owner he would never see his pet again and would use his dog for breeding.

Woolveridge threatened to shoot another victim's dog if the owner put the phone down and did not send him £1,000.

"I was absolutely horrified by the offending in this case," said the officer leading Operation Facade, Det Insp Amanda Sykes.

"I haven't personally found offending of this nature in other parts of the country before," she added, describing the perpetrators as "heartless".

"Clearly all they're after is the money - it's just cruel," said Det Insp Sykes.

"It really tugs at the heartstrings and it's really affected all the people involved."

Det Insp Amanda Sykes urged pet owners to be cautious

Another victim, Holly, still lives with the memory of the traumatic call she received after her American bulldog Chapo escaped from her garden last year.

Like many of the pet owners the BBC has spoken with, the 31-year-old from Huddersfield appealed on social media for information and was soon contacted by a man claiming to have her dog.

"I got a call and it was a man with a Manchester accent saying he had my dog," she said. "I was over the moon."

Holly said the man soon became aggressive and demanded cash.

"He said if I transfer him £500 he would tie him to a lamp post in my area, and that if I didn't pay him he would chop him up."

She transferred the money but Chapo was found dead in a neighbour's garden after being hit by a car.

"It's just sickening what people do for money and how heartless some people can be," said Holly.

A caller threatened to kill Holly's American bulldog Chapo unless she paid up

Meanwhile Nathan, from Wigan, told how scammers threatened to shoot his dog if he did not pay £500.

After his timid Shih Tzu cross Lexi vanished about a year ago, Nathan received a call from a private number.

He said the caller told him: "I've got Lexi. Give us 500 quid or I'll shoot it."

Nathan then said he told the man "to send me a picture and he said I had to pay £50 for it so I got his bank details and paid.

"He wasn't telling the truth and I didn't see the money again. But when you're desperate, you'll do anything."

Det Insp Sykes advised pet owners to be "very wary" when handling calls over missing animals.

"Be very careful about any information that you give them and if you agree to meet them, agree to meet them in a public place and have somebody with you," she said.

"If you wish to give reward money, please do not give it until you have sight of your much loved pet."

If you have experienced a pet scam and would like to share your story please contact the team at [e-mail]

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail].