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