08/12/2026
Can we talk about how absolutely infuriating social media algorithms are?
Because I am tired.
Tired of trying to get people to SEE what we are doing.
Tired of begging the algorithm to show the public the animals who need help.
Tired of needing to make something funny, outrageous, adorable, shocking, or entertaining just to get enough people to stop scrolling long enough to understand what we are actually fighting for.
And then, when we finally DO catch people's attention, we get accused of animal exploitation.
Let me tell you what is actually frustrating.
We are a sanctuary.
We are trying to raise money to feed, house, medically care for, and provide appropriate lifelong care for animals that people have decided they can no longer handle.
And there is a MASSIVE problem with the way social media portrays exotic animals.
Foxes.
Raccoons.
Skunks.
And other animals that are absolutely adorable on camera.
You see a 30-second video of a fox curled up on someone's couch and think:
"Oh my God. I want one."
You see a raccoon washing its food and think:
"How cute! I could totally have one!"
What you don't see is the 365 days a year.
The mess.
The specialized diet.
The destruction.
The veterinary care.
The enclosure requirements.
The enrichment.
The behavioral challenges.
The fact that these animals don't magically become domesticated because someone bottle-fed them.
And eventually, for some people, the novelty wears off.
The reality sets in.
The cute baby becomes an adult.
The animal becomes more work than they anticipated.
Their life changes.
Their housing changes.
Their relationship changes.
Their job changes.
And suddenly that adorable exotic animal that looked so damn easy on TikTok is no longer convenient.
So where does it go?
The rescue.
The sanctuary.
The person willing to say, "I'll take it."
And here's the part that makes me want to scream:
There is no magical government check waiting for us.
There is no federal sanctuary fund.
There is no monthly subsidy because we agreed to take in someone's unwanted exotic animal.
There is no government program that pays the veterinary bills.
There is no corporation responsible for the lifetime cost of an animal someone purchased because a 30-second video made it look easy.
We pay for it.
Donors pay for it.
Volunteers give their time.
Sanctuaries absorb the cost.
And somehow we're expected to quietly continue doing it without asking anyone for money because asking for donations apparently means we're exploiting the animals.
But here's where the algorithm creates an absolutely maddening vicious circle.
We post an educational post explaining why foxes aren't easy pets.
We talk about exotic animal ownership.
We explain what happens when these animals mature.
We talk about the realities of sanctuary life.
We explain the cost of caring for them.
We try to educate people BEFORE they make an impulse decision to buy one.
And what happens?
Crickets.
The educational post gets a fraction of the views.
A fraction of the shares.
A fraction of the engagement.
The algorithm decides nobody is interested.
So it buries it.
And then we post a fox doing something ridiculously cute…
BOOM.
Suddenly people are watching.
Suddenly we're reaching thousands of people.
Suddenly people are sharing.
And suddenly we have an audience.
So what do we do?
We show the cute fox.
Not because that's all we care about.
Not because we're trying to sell the idea of owning one.
Not because we're exploiting the animal.
Because we need you to STOP SCROLLING.
Because once we have your attention, we can hopefully educate you.
We can hopefully tell you the truth.
We can hopefully introduce you to the animal behind the cute video and explain why that animal belongs in the hands of someone who understands what they're committing to.
And THAT is the vicious circle.
The educational content doesn't get the reach.
The cute content gets the reach.
So we're forced to use the cute content to earn the reach necessary to deliver the education.
And then we're criticized for using cute content.
Do you see the problem?
We aren't trying to make exotic animal ownership look easy.
We're trying to make people care enough to listen when we tell them it isn't.
Because the same algorithm that can convince someone they absolutely NEED a fox can bury the post explaining why they absolutely shouldn't buy one.
And that makes me absolutely insane.
The video showing the cute fox gets millions of views.
The post explaining why you shouldn't buy that fox?
Buried.
The adorable raccoon gets shared everywhere.
The rescue explaining what happens when that raccoon becomes an adult?
Silence.
The funny sanctuary video?
Viral.
The fundraiser to actually keep the sanctuary operating?
Apparently not interesting enough for the algorithm.
And yet we NEED the reach.
Because if I can get one million people to watch a video and even a tiny percentage of them understand the problem, maybe we can change something.
Maybe someone thinks twice before purchasing an exotic animal.
Maybe someone realizes that cute does not equal easy.
Maybe someone learns that wild animals retain wild instincts.
Maybe someone who is already struggling with an exotic reaches out for help before the situation becomes an emergency.
Maybe someone donates $10.
Maybe that $10 helps buy food.
Maybe another $10 helps pay for medication.
Maybe enough people seeing us means we can continue saying YES when an animal desperately needs somewhere to go.
That is why I will continue trying to beat the algorithm.
I'll make the ridiculous videos.
I'll show you the chaos.
I'll show you the personalities.
I'll make you laugh.
I'll probably make you question my sanity on a regular basis. 😂
Because if that's what it takes to get you here, I'll do it.
But please understand something:
The entertainment is not the mission.
The animals are.
The education is.
The prevention is.
The lifelong care is.
And the fight against the misconception that exotic animals are easy, cute little pets is.
So yes…
I'm going to keep trying to make content that people actually stop and watch.
I'm going to keep asking you to share.
I'm going to keep asking for donations.
I'm going to keep making ridiculous videos.
I'm going to keep showing you these animals.
Because behind every cute face is a living, breathing animal that someone has to care for when the novelty wears off.
And I refuse to let the algorithm decide whether they get seen.
If you believe sanctuaries like ours matter, don't just watch.
Share the post.
Share the videos.
Tell someone what we're actually fighting for.
Donate if you can.
And most importantly, help us educate people BEFORE they buy an animal they aren't prepared to keep for life.
Because the goal isn't to have more exotic pets.
The goal is to have fewer exotic animals who NEED sanctuaries.
And until that changes…
We'll keep showing up.
We'll keep doing the work.
We'll keep taking care of the animals that were left behind.
Even when the algorithm doesn't think that's worth showing you.
Because they are.
And so is the work.
