The following story is from the March, 2009 issue of Veterinary Economics.
Man poses as female veterinarian
In January, an Atlantic City, N.J., [sic] man posed as a female veterinarian. He ran an illegal veterinary practice and set up a fake animal rescue organization that may have conned animal lovers out of thousands of dollars. Investigators say the man falsely identified himself as Dr. Danielle Smith, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school, and ran a business called South Jersey Small Animal Rescue. He allegedly vaccinated pets and offered small animals for adoption for a fee. He also solicited donations for the agency, claiming it was a nonprofit. Investigators say it wasn’t a nonprofit.
It appears that fraudsters, as always, will stop at nothing in their efforts to swindle. I hope that the person featured in the article was unsuccessful in his efforts to solicit donations. I also hope that this incident will not discourage people from contributing to the many worthwhile and legitimate animal rescue operations that are working to place dogs and cats in good homes.
