These days, scammers are luring pet lovers out of thousands of dollars with photos of cute puppies, heart-breaking stories and irresistible prices — and becoming increasingly savvy at their work. Sometimes it is difficult to determine if it is a scam, until it is too late. Fraudwatchers.org, a nonprofit anti-scam organization manned entirely by volunteers, has seen an increase in pet scams over the past couple of years. In 2009, the number of pet scam postings on the site more than doubled that of past years combined. 

It’s a busy Friday morning at Amazing Greyz, a greyhound shelter in Franklin, and Mary Percy is pouring food for nearly a dozen greyhounds while her business partner Nancy Barbour answers phone calls and processes adoption papers. It’s only 9 a.m. The women have more dogs to feed, another adoption to process, cleaning to do and food to buy — all before noon. 

Eight greyhound racing tracks closed nationwide last year, including two in Massachusetts, leaving shelters busy with an upsurge of greyhounds needing a home. Luckily, the shelters are also busy tending to the upsurge in adoptions.

I am one of the most recognized breeds in America today.  I have gone from the symbol of strength, held in the highest regard in the eyes of this country to being feared just based on a glance; on the brink of forced extinction by legislations that prohibit people from even owning my breed.  I am Titan, an American Pit Bull Terrier.

Can you imagine choosing between your safety or the safety of your pets?  Sadly, victims of domestic violence are often faced with these heartbreaking decisions.  Most shelters for human victims of domestic violence do not accept animals, so people must leave their pets to enter the shelter.  Often, victims instead choose to stay in a violent home to try to protect their pets.