ORLANDO, Florida — Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.
That's a common piece of advice many people keep in mind when sifting through news and social media posts online.
But animal lovers around the world were horrified after seeing a dog that looked as if his entire face was badly burned.
"This poor dog was badly burned and disfigured trying to save his family from a house fire. One like = one prayer, One share = ten prayers," Stephen Roseman wrote on Facebook under a photo of the dog.
Thousands of people responded, sending prayers and love for the believed-to-be suffering dog.
"Prayers for this sweet dog," one Facebook user wrote.
The post has been shared more than 100,000 times.
The thing is, there weren't any burns on the dog's face.
The whole thing had been a joke. The "burns" were nothing more than a piece of ham plastered across the dog's face.
While many found the hoax funny, others felt they were duped and voiced outrage. Still, the photo of the dog continues to be shared.
Roseman hasn't explicitly responded to comments on the post, but one of his comments suggested he didn't think people would believe the claim that the ham was a real disfigurement.
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By Samantha Jordan, News 965 - Orlando
Cox Media Group
