Accra, May 05,GNA— The Coalition For Cruelty Free Africa (CFCFA) has issued an urgent appeal for government intervention following a BBC Africa Eye investigation that uncovered widespread dog and cat abuse networks in Uganda linked to fraudulent online fundraising scams.
The investigation, released this week, report that criminal groups are deliberately torturing and mutilating dogs and cats to produce distressing content used to solicit donations from compassionate donors worldwide.
The operations are said to have links across Africa, as well as to the United Kingdom and the United States.
In a statement to the Ghana News Agency, CFCFA described the abuse as “barbaric ” and said it represented a “moral and legal failure” to protect animals under Uganda’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and Penal Code Act.
The group said animals were being “imprisoned, starved, and neglected” while scammers continue fundraising on social media platforms without consequence.
“This is not an isolated case,” CFCFA said. “There are multiple animal abuse scam operations across Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, and beyond, all exploiting animal suffering to deceive donors globally.”
The coalition is calling on the Ugandan government to:
– Launch an emergency rescue and protection operation for animals still at risk.
– Arrest and prosecute all individuals involved and shut down identified abuse facilities.
– Conduct immediate inspections of other suspected scam operations across Africa.
– Enforce animal protection and fraud laws, including provisions against obtaining money by false pretences.
– Work with social media platforms to remove exploitative fundraising accounts.
We urge them to support law enforcement actions to prevent and identify and Stop Animal
Abuse operations across the World Wide Web.
Prevention of cross-border digital exploitation of Animal suffering.
• Emergency Animal Protection Response
• Immediate Deployment of independent veterinary Genuine Animal Rescue teams
• Establishment of secure rehabilitation Animal sanctuaries free from Exploitation
• Intervention on Social Media Platforms
• For the Immediate removal of exploitative fundraising accounts.
• The Government to work with social media platforms to shut down Animal Abuse
accounts Scammers / fund raisers.
CFCFA is also urging the African Union and the international community to intervene, citing cross-border digital exploitation and the erosion of public trust in legitimate animal rescue charities.
The coalition warned that the crisis damaged Uganda’s international reputation and undermined genuine animal welfare efforts. “There is no room for animal cruelty in the 21st century,” the statement said.
BBC Africa has confirmed the situation requires urgent animal rescue. CFCFA said it was still awaiting swift action from Ugandan authorities to secure and rehabilitate the affected animals.
GNA
05 May 2026
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong