The San Jose Animal Care Center is trying to stop a surge of calls and messages fueled by what it says are false social media posts about shelter dogs.

The posts, shared in a Facebook group, claim sad-looking dogs are about to be euthanized. Shelter officials say the photos are manipulated, AI-generated photos and, in some cases, the dogs have already been adopted.

San Jose officials say they are the only shelter being targeted locally, though other shelters have reported being targeted by the same scam.

“We were flooded with calls, and the dog has already been adopted, not in danger of euthanasia,” said Monica Wiley, deputy director of San Jose Animal Care and Services. “It’s disappointing. Here we are getting blasted by untrue statements.”

Wiley said the calls are taking valuable time and resources away from other animals at the shelter.

One viral post urged people to act quickly, claiming a shelter dog named Lumi could be put down. Officials say the post is a scam and that scammers are attempting to collect donations, likes or reposts.

The Facebook group “Saving Shelter Dogs from Euthanasia” recently shared Lumi’s doctored photo, using the dog’s real name and ID number, according to the shelter.

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A few weeks before the Lumi post, officials said another fake post circulated about a Dalmatian at the shelter.

The shelter has faced criticism from animal advocates following a 2024 audit but says the viral posts are also inaccurate about its policies.

“Our shelter does not euthanize for space. We are the largest shelter in Nor Cal. As far as space or time, we are not euthanizing animals,” Wiley said.

At least one other shelter has been targeted by the same scam.

“It’s horrible,” said Randy Friedman of Ventura County Animal Services.

Ventura County Animal Services said a photo of one of its shelter dogs was doctored and shared with a similar plea for help.

“Our phone room was lit up with people who were upset; they were confused,” Friedman said.

Friedman said the dog in question at his shelter was adopted. The shelter posted a response to the fake ad.

“We posted a response on the Facebook page and we told everyone we are a lifesaving shelter. We do not euthanize animals for time or space,” Friedman said.

He said he has seen other viral posts using AI-generated photos of shelter dogs.

“There are all these photos of big, animated eyes that look like they may be crying a little bit, and it gets people very upset,” Friedman said. “You see the number of shares – it’s thousands and thousands of shares.”

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Shelter officials say many people are responding to the social media posts that include fake photos.

“This is emotional manipulation,” said Ahmed Banafa, a San Jose-based technology expert and professor.

Banafa said AI technology is becoming more convincing and is contributing to misinformation.

“How many times have you heard somebody say whenever they see a video, ‘Is this real or is this AI?'” Banafa said.

He said scammers are capitalizing on that uncertainty.

“Hopefully they’re not sending money to those guys,” Banafa said.

He urged people to watch for red flags.

“Time limit and give me money. Those are two red flags here,” Banafa said.

Banafa also advised people not to take posts at face value and to verify information before taking action.

“Everything you see, you hear about it – just think twice before you take action,” he said.

San Jose Animal Care and Services said it is concerned about how widely the false posts have spread.

“The fake post on Lumi was shared more than 5,000 times,” Wiley said. “So just the volume and the traction these fake posts and misinformation are gathering just shows the danger it poses and the threat it poses to our community.”

The shelter said it flagged the Facebook account and encourages others to do the same. Officials also urge people to verify information directly through the shelter’s website or by visiting in person.

“Please check the website. If you’re online, go and see who we have available. Come down to the shelter,” Wiley said.

ABC7 reached out to the Facebook group via direct message but did not receive a response.

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