Animal sanctuaries and rescue organisations vary enormously in the welfare they provide. Accreditation schemes help donors and adopters identify those meeting evidence-based welfare standards.
Not all sanctuaries and rescues deliver the welfare they claim. Rescue hoarding — where organisations take in more animals than they can care for — causes suffering rather than alleviating it. Sanctuaries that permit public handling of big cats, bears, or primates typically use inappropriate methods to ensure animal compliance. Accreditation provides a verifiable benchmark, though many excellent smaller organisations operate without formal accreditation.