About this episode
This episode explores the dog-rescue scams operating in Mityana, Uganda, revealing how scammers exploit animal lovers in the West.
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
People in this episode
Host: Nyasha Michelle
Topics covered
- dog rescue scams
- online con operations
- animal welfare
- undercover reporting
- donation extortion
Keywords
- dog rescue
- scammers
- Mityana
- Uganda
- donations
- animal lovers
- BBC Africa Eye
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC Africa Eye
Places: Mityana, Uganda
More episodes of Documentaries
- Trine Hahnemann: mixing cookery and hygge · June 8, 2026 · 31 min
- Introducing: The Food Chain - Rethinking the potato · June 7, 2026 · 31 min
- Finding soldier Tom · June 6, 2026 · 30 min
- Injured during childbirth · June 6, 2026 · 28 min
- The Missionary Soldier · June 5, 2026 · 30 min
- The Black Power Station: I rap what I like · June 4, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Documentaries podcast page.