Top 5 Reasons not to Buy from a Rescue
by Aya Katz
We have all seen those cute little ads. “Due to the evil machinations of crass breeders, we have a shipment of 100 cute little (insert animal) coming into our rescue, in need of an immediate new home. They have just been weaned, have had all their shots, and since they are herd animals, you will want to get at least two. Just $400.00 a piece, as a re-homing fee.” However, there are plenty of reasons to be wary of animal rescues. This list uses some famous fictional animals to illustrate the very real issues.
5. They want a hefty fee for their Snuffleupugus and are making a profit.
These are not homeless animals, in need of someone to adopt them. These are livestock being sold for profit. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the profit motive, but a real animal lover never puts down the breeder who made the product possible. If they are telling you that the breeders are bad, chances are they confiscated these animals from the people who nurtured them and brought them into the world.
If the animals really had been abused, malnourished or diseased, they would not look this cute, and nobody would want them. Abused animals make very bad pets. In the past, saying that an animal had been abused would reduce its market value. Today, rescues brag about it, as if selling abused animals were a virtue! There is a government-sponsored scam afoot to allow rescues to get animals free of charge from breeders by claiming they have been abused and then to re-sell them to the public.
“But what if they are a certified 501 (c) (3) honest-to-gosh genuine rescue with a beautiful website and GFAS approval?”
Did you know that even the head of the GFAS admits that it’s all a money-making scheme?
RELATED: Most Get into Animal Welfare Because They Love Money
4. They say their Exotic Gremlin was Imported, but the Breeder is Local.
Okay, so everybody knows that Gremlins come from China, where they are called mogwai, 魔怪, which is really just a Cantonese word meaning “monster.” Your local rescue will tell you that illegal importing of animals is the cause of the availability of your Gremlin, but that the sadistic smugglers need to be punished, while your Gremlin gets a new home. Oh, and by the way, the rescue needs one thousand dollars to recoup the costs of battling the evil importer who tore this innocent baby Gremlin from its mother’s breast. But did you know that this batch of Gremlins was not imported at all? Did you know we have been breeding them in the US ever since they were brought into San Francisco in the 19th century? Do you feel foolish now? Oh, and about those special care instructions, the real owner would have told you what happens if you get them wet!
3. Of course. there was a “breeding situation.” That’s Why those Tribbles Exist in the First Place.
“A breeding situation” is code for something, but what? Rescues will tell you that all responsible pet owners have their animals neutered or spayed. But if all animals are neutered or spayed, how will we ever have any more animals? Rescues seem to regard the birth of your pet as a calamity that only you can remedy by paying them a ton of money. Think about it. If no breeding were involved, would that tribble even exist? What did they teach you in Sex Ed?
2. They are a non-profit, but they work full time selling Big Birds.
That rescue down the street from you selling Big Birds may not show a profit, but if the person selling those Big Birds is working there full time, then chances are that’s how he’s making a living. There is no shame in being paid a salary, but the breeder they stole from probably didn’t get a salary. The breeder whose Big Birds were confiscated actually made a profit from selling Big Birds to the public. This means that the breeder business model is sustainable in the free market, and the rescue model is not sustainable. Rescues operate parasitically off others. If they are allowed to continue to loot breeders, this will lead to the demise of the pet industry.
1. If rescues have their way, all domestic animals will go extinct.
You may not have any interest in getting a Snuffleupugus or a Gremlin, a Tribble or a Big Bird. You may think it is just fine for the rescues to run the breeders out of business, because animals like that should not exist in captivity. But if you buy your dog or cat from a rescue that looted a breeder, then you are contributing to the demise of all domestic animals in the US. You bought an animal that has already been neutered. You are not planning to breed it. All pet stores have been run out of town. Soon all breeders will go the same way. When the time comes to purchase your next pet, ten years down the line, who do you think will sell you one? 
