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Dog's suffering exposes online animal rescue scam industry
A rust-coloured dog named Russet became the face of a global fundraising scam after a TikTok video showed him lying injured on a Ugandan roadside, sparking thousands of dollars in donations. But the dog never received proper treatment-and investigators now say his case is part of a lucrative, cruel industry built on deception.
The viral video that launched a scam
In January 2025, a 15-second clip of Russet, a dog with severe hind leg injuries, circulated on social media. The video claimed he had been in an accident and urged viewers to donate to save his life. Over the next three weeks, his image appeared in hundreds of fundraising campaigns across at least a dozen accounts, raising thousands of dollars from well-meaning donors.
But Russet's condition never improved. BBC Africa Eye later uncovered that the dog was a prop in a scam targeting animal lovers worldwide, particularly in Europe, North America, and Australia.
How the scam operates
The epicenter of the scheme is Mityana, a town 70 kilometers west of Uganda's capital, Kampala. Here, young men run sham animal shelters, exploiting Western stereotypes about Africa-such as widespread poverty and neglect of animals-to solicit donations.
Bart Kakooza, chairman of the Uganda Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, told the BBC that scammers realized they could profit by appealing to Westerners' love for animals. "There are young men in the countryside who are always looking for anything to do on the internet," he said. "They saw an opportunity."
BBC Africa Eye's analysis found that over the past five years, more than $730,000 (£540,000) has been raised for Ugandan animal shelters via GoFundMe, with nearly 40% of fundraisers linked to Mityana.
Undercover investigation reveals cruelty
An undercover BBC team posing as aspiring scammers gained access to one of Mityana's shelters, run by a man who introduced himself as Charles Lubajja. The team found about 15 dogs crammed into a single cage, many severely underweight and living in filth.
Lubajja admitted the shelter existed solely to generate income from foreign donors. He advised the undercover reporters on how to maximize profits, including spending donations on personal luxuries like cars and houses. "Once you get a white donor, don't treat them as a brother," he said. "You have to squeeze them. Drain them."
Lubajja also confirmed that some scammers deliberately injure dogs to create more compelling content. "When they ran out of content, some people started cutting the dogs and asked for money," he said. However, he claimed this tactic backfired as donors grew suspicious.
The fate of Russet
Russet's story took a tragic turn after his initial viral video. His image was reused by multiple scammers, passing him between groups until a British donor negotiated his release to a veterinary clinic in Kampala. Dr. Isa Lutebemberwa, who treated Russet, said the dog's injuries were unlikely to have been accidental.
"If you look at these bones, all of them were broken almost in the same position. If you are interested in breaking a bone, it's the position you would go for, because it is the weakest."
Dr. Isa Lutebemberwa
Russet survived surgery but died days later. "Given everything he had gone through, he did not deserve to die," Lutebemberwa said.
Global backlash and calls for action
As awareness of the scams grew, online activists like Nicola Baird, founder of the campaign We Won't Be Scammed, began exposing fraudulent accounts. Baird, a 49-year-old from Yorkshire, England, was once a victim herself after donating to a scammer claiming a dog needed surgery. She later realized the images showed signs of abuse, not medical care.
"The scammers, I just have hatred for them. They are the epitome of evil."
Nicola Baird, founder of We Won't Be Scammed
In Uganda, authorities have taken limited action. In 2023, police rescued 24 injured dogs from a Mityana shelter and arrested three suspects, but the case was later dropped. Now, activists are pursuing private prosecutions to hold scammers accountable.
Who is to blame?
Animal welfare advocates in Uganda argue that impulsive donations from abroad fuel the scams. "People who are donating money are causing the problem of animal cruelty here," Kakooza said. Baird echoed this sentiment, noting that donations prolonged Russet's suffering. "Had people not donated, Russet would not have suffered as long as he did."
The solution, activists say, lies in greater awareness among donors and stricter scrutiny of fundraising campaigns. But for dogs already trapped in Mityana's shelters, the path to safety remains uncertain.
