I find it hard to distrust people who are cavalier about their animals.  I'm no PETA nut-case, but I believe that owning an animal is a relationship and a responsibility.  You should do it because you love the animal and are willing to commit to it.  Conversely, I would find it hard to distrust someone who acquired a pet say, because it looked good professionally, and then quietly scuttled the animal to someone else when it was no longer politically expedient.  I'm sure it happens more often than I'd like to think.  But I would still tend to distrust those persons.