George Santos raised money for the dogs. We don’t know where it all went.

“You know, someone along the line – and again, these are all things that are looked at, to show and deal with. Because, again, I was not alone in this,” Mr. Santos said, while claiming that he does most of the charity work.

“I was the guy who scooped up poop, cleaned up, got people hooked, campaigned online,” he said. “But we had a larger group of people who helped.”

Ms Spadavecchia was not the only person concerned about the way Mr Santos handled Friends of Pets United funds. In late 2016, GoFundMe received a complaint about a fundraiser Mr. Santos organized to help a veteran, Richard Osthoff, raise money for his dog’s surgery, a spokesperson said.

Mr. Osthoff, whose meeting with Mr. Santos was reported earlier by local news site Patch, did not respond to interview requests. But a friend, Michael Boll, who became involved in the situation, provided screenshots of text messages between Mr. Santos and Mr. Osthoff.

According to Mr. Boll, Mr. Osthoff learned that his dog, Sapphire, had a tumor that required $3,000 in surgery. At the time, Mr. Osthoff, 47, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was living in a tent, Mr. Boll said.

A vet tech named Andrea Dos Santos put Mr. Osthoff in touch with Mr. Santos, saying Friends of Pets United could likely provide support.