A New York City-based kitten rescue agency has banned MAGA supporters from adopting cats.
Itty Bitty City Kitties announced yesterday that ‘conservative’ voters would not be welcomed to their Rockaway Beach location.
‘If your politics involve racism, bigotry, dehumanizing immigrants, or cheering on cruelty toward vulnerable people, please kindly f**k right off,’ the agency posted on Instagram.
Samantha Knox, the director of Itty Bitty City Kitties, told Fox News that the organization considers ‘public conduct and demonstrated values’ crucial when looking at applicants.
She said that ‘a history of celebrating harm or abuse, be it toward people or animals’ is a red flag and the organization would never ‘place a vulnerable animal with anyone’ who they ‘feel is a danger to the welfare of the animal.’
Knox told the Daily Mail that their evaluation is based on ‘reviews of public social media activity.’
‘We do not audit private voting records or engage in arbitrary discrimination.’
The agency’s strict policy received mounting backlash, including criticism from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
The New York based rescue, Itty Bitty City Kitties, will no longer let MAGA supporters adopt cats from its agency. The director of the non-profit, Samantha Knox said that the rescue has the right to say no to people who support ‘harm or abuse, be it toward people or animals’
Knox said that the agency received a lot of hateful messages after the post went up. She added that it is a reflection on the kind of screening they do before letting a person adopt a cat
PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk told Fox News: ‘Homeless animals don’t care which side of abortion you are on or whether you believe in global warming or support Palestine or Israel or if you don’t vote at all, ever.’
‘We hope this policy, which is human-centric, is reconsidered and abolished,’ Newkirk added.
Itty Bitty City Kitties describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit specializing in orphaned and neonatal kittens.
It is also listed among New York state’s registered pet rescues.
‘As an animal welfare rescue, our primary responsibility is ensuring the animals in our care go to safe, compassionate homes,’ Knox told Fox News.
She defended the organization’s screening approach and said that a history of ‘celebrating cruelty’ can affect an applicant’s suitability to take care of an animal.
She added that an evaluation would be made based on ‘conduct, ethical alignment and animal safety.’
‘However, if our vetting uncovers clear alignment with hateful positions or public rhetoric that celebrates, promotes, or encourages cruelty, the application is denied out of direct concern for the safety and well-being of the kitten,’ she told The Daily Mail.
PETA reacted to the policy and said that adoption should be made based on a person’s behavior and not his political affiliation
Knox told the outlet that ‘MAGA is a political movement and ideology, not a recognized political party.’
She added that they do not screen or reject applications just because of their registered political party affiliation.
Though her post also said conservatives would not be allowed to adopt cats from Itty Bitty City Kitties.
And prospective adopters who say they are ‘not political?’
‘Nice loophole,’ Knox wrote. ‘Still nope.’
‘These kittens are looking for homes with a tote bag collection, oat milk, an aggressively progressive group chat, a compost bin, NPR playing somewhere in the background, and someone who has rage-donated to mutual aid at least once,’ the post continued.
‘We reserve the right to reject any application where an applicant’s expressed values, public statements or actions demonstrate a failure to meet our safety and welfare standards,’ she told Fox News.
‘When public conduct indicates a severe lack of empathy or a potential safety risk, our standard-of-care protocols require us to deny the adoption to protect the animals in our custody.’
The agency has often shared screenshots of graphic and hurtful messages that they have received for their political views.
Knox told Fox that the messages illustrate the ‘kind of conduct the rescue considers relevant when evaluating prospective homes.’
Knox said while they have recieved an influx of hate messages, the support has been even more massive.
‘We have actually experienced an overwhelming outpouring of community support, including a dramatic increase in donations, followers, and volunteer offers.’
PETA disregarded the ideology.
‘Political affiliation is not a reliable measure of whether someone will be a good guardian,’ the organization told Fox News Digital.
