06/22/2026
I really want to clarify something for the general public.
There seem to be quite a few people who claim to be “Rescue.” But there are multiple things a rescue would NOT do.
1. If a rescue takes a cat, and we return them to you, they will come back STERILIZED. If you return any cats without fixing them, you’re not a rescue.
2. A real rescue would not leave any cat behind. If someone goes on-site & leaves an adult cat in dire need of medical & is only concerned with kittens, they’re not a real rescue.
3. If you “Hold” cats for weeks or months without flea treatments, deworming, vaccinating, or doing anything medically, you’re just hoarding the cats, not rescuing them.
4. If you know someone who can “Euthanize for you” any unwanted or unadoptable cats, they are certainly not a real rescue.
5. If they’re always asking for donations & funding, yet aren’t showing what their money is going towards, that’s questionable.
6. If you see them constantly posting in comments on pet groups always seeking kittens, and that’s all they ever help with, that’s questionable.
7. If you can’t meet the pets on-site, I’d definitely be concerned about the conditions they live in.
8. If they don’t have a Petfinder, website, or social media, something showcasing their current / past pets for adoption, that’s definitely concerning.
9. If they only take “Easy” cases & “beautiful” cases that will adopt faster & easiest, such as only kittens (Unless they’re a specialized rescue) or requiring photos before accepting them & then picking which ones they will take based off looks, I’d question that for sure.
10. If they don’t have a quarantine or intake protocol, that’s 10000% a red flag!
There are so many people who say they are a rescue or they do rescue, but they don’t ACTUALLY help the cat crisis.
And it’s scary to me, because in my dealings with people who have surrendered, not many of them come inside, ask me any questions, or do any kind of investigating before passing over the kitties.
I understand everyone just wants to find placement, but it’s important to know who exactly you’re handing your pets off too! You might think you’re doing the best thing & end up doing the exact opposite!
There is no investigations to start a rescue. Nobody comes to see your space, you’re not required to have protocols in place. Even when a rescue partners with someone, they likely have never even seen the place! PetSmart never once visited the rescue before we became a partner.
✅ Please research the person or organization you surrender & adopt from. Every few months, just in pa, we see another “Rescue” in trouble for hoarding.
It often takes many lives being lost before anything is done about it. Yet those “Rescues” had no trouble getting cats, when if even ONE of the people surrendering or adopting had walked inside, they would’ve prevented a whole lot of suffering.
Please stop giving & taking animals from random people. Do your research. Verify, visit the location, ask questions! & verify for yourself with your own senses.
Not all rescues & rescuers are bad. But there certainly are plenty who are. And you won’t know if you don’t investigate for yourself!
