For the love of dogs

Mityana is a bustling regional town in central Uganda, where motorbikes are king. Here an online con operation flourishes in plain sight. Armed with smartphones, emotional images, and carefully crafted lies, a network of young men preys on dog lovers in Europe and America —people who believe they are saving abused, sick, or dying animals. This documentary dives into the shadowy world of the dog-rescue scammers of Mityana. Through undercover reporting, BBC Africa Eye exposes how the scams work, and the lengths the scammers will go to extort donations from well-meaning animal lovers in the west.
Presenter: Nyasha Michelle
Producers: Chiara Francavilla and Alice Muthengi, with Godfrey Badebye and Catherine Namugerwa in Uganda
Executive Producer: Miriam Quansah
Editor: Rebecca Henschke