The sanctuary sector ranges from high-quality accredited facilities to welfare-problematic operations; accreditation schemes help donors and the public identify genuine sanctuaries.
The sanctuary sector has significant quality variation that is often invisible to donors and the public. Genuine sanctuaries provide permanent retirement to animals that cannot be returned to wild conditions, using appropriate large naturalistic enclosures and skilled professional care. Problematic sanctuaries continue breeding, allow direct public contact, use animals in performances, or maintain inadequate conditions while marketing themselves as rescues. Accreditation schemes provide the accountability mechanism that allows welfare-conscious donors to direct support to genuinely high-quality facilities.