Venessa Johnson formed an instant connection with a six-year-old Shih Tzu named Oliver when she temporarily adopted him in 2013. She described him as the sweetest and gentlest boy she had ever known.

When Adrianna Parsons and her husband found a shiny Lexus SUV listed for sale on CARFAX, they thought they were in safe hands. “It all looked very legitimate at first glance,” said Parsons, a resident ...

Scottish Straight kittens look on during a cat exhibition in Bishkek on March 23, 2013. Cat lovers from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan took part in the exhibition. VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO ...