Email example contributed by Tracy K., 28 Sep. 2007:
Subject: FW: ABANDONED PUPPIES
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007
Look how cute they are....
6 black lab (mix) puppies were rescued out of the middle
of the road on Saturday. PLEASE help me find them homes -
otherwise, it's Animal Control - which means they only have
5 days. We've bathed them, sprayed them for fleas and wormed
them....but we can't keep them. They are currently in a
kennel in my basement since I don't have a fence. I've lost count
of the number of rescue groups that I've contacted, only to be
turned down due to no room. Please check with every dog
person you know to see if they need a puppy.
___________________________
[Name removed by request]
Office Manager
Comments: It's outdated for sure, and though it may have once been a legitimate message-board posting, this flier has journeyed too far and too long, picking up inaccurate contact names, phone numbers, and email addresses, to the point where it is now just plain false. Some of the earliest postings (see example) have been revised to say that the black lab mix puppies pictured above have been adopted.
Similar Internet fliers have met the same fate in the past, so it bears pointing out that even with the best intentions it can be counterproductive to copy and repost such messages without confirming the details first.
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