The “Rescue” Lie: Buyers, Sellers, and Fake Adoptions | Pet Parent Power-Up

Teaser: Is it really a rescue?

Just because someone calls it an adoption doesn't mean you're rescuing a pet. Some irresponsible breeders and animal sellers have figured out that words like rescue, rehoming, and adoption fee make selling pets sound like saving them, and buyers aren't always innocent either. Some know exactly where their pets came from, but tell everyone they adopted anyway. Today we're talking about how to spot these situations, who's responsible, and how to avoid supporting the very practices you probably in your heart want to try to avoid. You've reached the Pet Parent Hotline. I'm Amy Castro and welcome to this month's Pet Parent Power Up.

Why misuse of rescue language makes Amy angry

Today I want to talk about something that doesn't just concern me, it actually makes me really angry. And that is people who breed or sell pets irresponsibly and use the language of animal rescue to disguise what they're doing. Now, before I go any further, I want to make an important distinction. I'm not talking about responsible, ethical preservation breeders who prioritize the health and welfare of their animals and conduct appropriate health testing and take responsibility for the dogs and cats they produce. What I'm talking about here are puppy mills, irresponsible backyard breeders, kitten mills, and other sellers who are primarily interested in making money, sometimes with very little regard for the animal's health or welfare, and who present those sales as adoptions or rehoming situations. I find that incredibly offensive. So why does this make me so angry? Well, I started and have been running an animal rescue for years, and I can tell you firsthand that legitimate rescue is not some clever way to make money. In our rescue, we lost money on every single adoption, every single one. By the time we paid for veterinary care, vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, medication, food, and everything else that animals needed, the adoption fee rarely, if ever, covered our costs. We depended on donations from people who believed in our mission to make up the difference, and that's how we were able to keep helping animals. So when I see somebody deliberately breeding animals, selling them for a profit, and calling the money they collected an adoption fee, it really pisses me off. Because they're borrowing the language and the goodwill of legitimate animal rescues to make their businesses sound like something they're not. And what's even worse is that they're taking advantage of people who genuinely want to help animals in many instances, people who specifically chose adoption because they don't want to support irresponsible breeding. But if those people don't investigate where an animal actually came from, they could end up putting money directly in the pockets of the very people that they're trying to avoid. And here's something else that bothers me. The sellers aren't the only ones who need to take responsibility.

Buyers have a responsibility, too

Buyers do too. I hear and see people saying they quote unquote adopted their dog or cat when what they actually did was buy one from a breeder. Now, sometimes people just use the word adopted casually to mean they brought a pet into their home, and I'm not interested in policing everybody's vocabulary. However, I really think that there are also a lot of people who knowingly purchase animals, sometimes from questionable breeders or from situations they strongly suspect are unethical, and then they tell everyone they rescued or adopted those pets. And I want to ask those people something. Why? Why not be honest? Are you embarrassed to admit you bought a dog or a cat? Are you uncomfortable telling people where they came from? Are you afraid of the backlash that you're gonna get on social media? And if you are, why? You know, maybe it's because deep down you know you shouldn't have supported that seller in the first place. And look, if you want to buy a pet, buy one. Find a responsible breeder, ask the right questions, and be proud that you made an informed decision. But don't knowingly support irresponsible breeding and then call it rescue because it sounds better to your friends on social media. And please don't tell me you don't have time to do your homework. When you bring an animal into your family, you have a responsibility to find out where that animal came from. And you should really care about how the breeding animals are treated, the conditions they're raised in, whether they received appropriate vet care, and whether the people producing them are concerned about their health and welfare. Because when you hand over your money, you're not just getting a pet. You're supporting an operation that provided that animal and you're supporting an industry. And if that operation or industry is unethical, your purchase is helping keep it in business. Now I do know some people might be genuinely deceived. They're given convincing stories or false information and they believe that they're dealing with a legitimate rescue. And I think that's different from knowing better and doing it anyway. But there's also a difference between not knowing and not wanting to know. Okay, so I know I've been pretty fired up about this, and I do not apologize for that. However, my goal here is not to make you feel bad about a pet you've already brought into your family. What's done is done, and that dog or cat or other animal deserves every bit of love and care you can give them, regardless of where they came

From frustration to informed choices

from. What I really want is for you to feel confident making your next decision, whether that's adopting from a rescue or buying from a responsible breeder, because there are some pretty simple things you can do to protect yourself and avoid supporting unethical operations, and to make sure that you're getting your relationship with your new pet off to the best possible start. So let's talk about some of this language that people use: adoption, rescue, rehoming, adoption fee, fostered in a loving home, looking for a forever family. You know, those are perfectly legitimate terms when they're being

When pet sales masquerade as rescue

used honestly, but none of them proves an animal is actually being rescued. Let's say you're scrolling through social media and you see a litter of kittens advertised as needing loving homes with a small rehoming fee, or maybe it's an adult dog and the person posted saying they're just trying to find the right family. You know, these could be completely legit situations, but maybe those kittens are being produced by someone who breeds cats repeatedly and doesn't provide adequate vet care, or maybe the dog is one of many animals someone regularly obtains and resells. Calling the money an adoption fee doesn't automatically make the transaction an adoption. There's even a practice called puppy laundering, where commercially bred puppies are moved through organizations that present them as rescues, sometimes through sham nonprofits, and marketed as adoptable rescue dogs. And that's a specific practice involving dogs, but the broader concern applies to cats too. Sellers can use rescue terminology to make commercial animal sales sound charitable. So how do you tell the difference? Well, first, find out where the animal came from. Ask them, can you tell me how this dog or cat came into your care? A legitimate rescue should be able to explain what it knows. Maybe the animal came from a shelter or an owner's surrender or a pregnant dog or cat that came into foster care. Sometimes the history is limited, especially with strays, and that's totally understandable. But if someone gives vague answers, changes their story, or won't explain where the animal's coming from, that's a red flag. And if they always seem to have a steady supply of desirable breeds or young animals while claiming they're simply rescuing them, I'd want to know more. Second, make sure you verify who you're dealing with. If someone claims to operate a nonprofit rescue, check the IRS tax exempt

Five things to investigate

database or state registries and their history. But remember, nonprofit status alone doesn't necessarily guarantee ethical behavior. And a legitimate rescue doesn't necessarily have a fancy website or a big facility. Some excellent rescues operate entirely through foster homes. So what you're really looking for here is transparency and accountability. You know, if an individual says they're rehoming a personal pet, ask why. Look at their previous listings, look at their social media history. If they've been advertising animals for rehoming repeatedly, hmm, that's worth investigating. Third, pay attention to how they respond to questions. Anyone who genuinely cares about an animal's future should want the animal placed in an appropriate home. So ask about veterinary records, vaccination, known health or behavior issues, and what happens if the placement doesn't work out. If you're buying from a breeder, ask about the parents, ask to see them, meet them, ask how puppies or kittens were raised, and appropriate breed-specific health testing. And please know that a vet exam on an individual puppy or kitten is not the same thing as health testing the breeding animals for inherited condition. And you know, bottom line, if somebody becomes defensive or tries to rush you into paying instead of answering reasonable questions, I would definitely be concerned. Fourth, understand the money. A substantial adoption fee doesn't automatically mean a rescue is doing something wrong. Real rescue is expensive, and believe me, I know, an inexpensive animal isn't automatically a bargain if the person selling it has cut corners on vet care and responsible breeding practices. But find out what the fee covers, what care has been provided to that pet, and what documentation you're going to get with it. And be cautious about pressure to pay immediately, especially before you've verified the seller or met the animal. And remember, sometimes online pet advertisements are outright scams. The animal on the photo might not even exist. Fifth, and I sort of alluded to this, but make sure you ask what happens if you can't keep the pet. Responsible rescues generally have a very clear return policy. And responsible breeders also typically want the animals they produce returned to them and will write that into the contract rather than having that animal be abandoned or surrendered or even rehomed to a family member. Because responsible rescue and breeding aren't just about getting an animal into someone's hands and collecting money. They're about the animal's welfare for the rest of its life. So right now some of you might be thinking, but what if you just want to save that animal? That is definitely something I want to address because I know how emotional these situations can be. You know, maybe you find a dog or a cat in a situation that just doesn't look good and you think, you know what, I know this person's not doing things right, but I just want to get the animal out of there. And I totally understand the feeling. But there's a difference between helping an animal who's already in trouble and giving an irresponsible breeder or seller another sale. You might be improving that one individual animal's life, but you're also giving the seller money and potentially encouraging them to keep doing what they're doing. And that's a really difficult reality when you're looking at a dog or a cat or another animal that you want to save. If you suspect that the animals are being neglected or abused, document what you can safely and report it to animal control or other appropriate authorities, but don't let someone use your compassion to pressure you into financially supporting the very practices you know you want to stop. So here's what I want you to take away from today's episode. Before bringing home a dog,

When you want to save an animal

cat, puppy, kitten, or any other animal, ask yourself three questions. First, do I understand where this animal came from and why it's being placed? Second, can I verify that the person or organization I'm dealing with is legitimate, transparent, and acting responsibly? And third, am I comfortable with the answers I've received? Or am I overlooking warning signs or red flags because I've already fallen in love with the animal? Because that is where people can get into trouble. They make an emotional commitment before they've gathered the information they need to make a good decision for everybody involved. And I don't want you facing preventable medical problems, thousands of dollars in unexpected vet bills, or the heartbreak of discovering the animal you thought you rescued actually came from an irresponsible breeding operation. I have spent years working to save animals, and I've seen how much time, money, and heart that legitimate rescue requires. I don't want people who are genuinely trying to help animals being deceived by someone who's simply learning to use the right words to make a sale. And I don't want people who know better making excuses for supporting unethical breeders. There are wonderful rescues doing incredibly important work all around the world, and there are responsible breeders who

Your Pet Parent Power-Up: three questions

genuinely care about their animals and the families who bring them home. And both deserve to be recognized for doing things the right way. The goal isn't to make you suspicious of everyone, it's to give you the knowledge and confidence to recognize the difference because whether you're adopting or purchasing, you're making a commitment that could last 15, 20 years or more. And the decisions that you make before bringing that animal home matter just as much as the care that you provide them afterwards. So if you know someone who's thinking about bringing home a dog or a cat, especially during the holidays, please share this episode with them. A few good questions now could save them a tremendous amount of heartache later. Thanks for listening to the Pet Parent Hotline. If you enjoyed the show, text a friend right now and tell them I've got a show that you need to hear. And remember, your pet's best life starts with you living yours. So take good care of yourself this week and your pets.