Not all animal sanctuaries are what they claim to be; understanding standards helps supporters identify genuinely welfare-focused facilities.
Pseudo-sanctuaries exploit animals under the name of rescue and welfare. Lion cub petting operations that call themselves sanctuaries routinely abuse animals for profit. Cubs are forcibly weaned early, subjected to constant stress from public handling, and often sold into canned hunting operations as adults. Donors to these operations fund animal suffering rather than rescue.