The term "sanctuary" is unregulated and often misused — genuine sanctuaries provide permanent care without exploitation, while pseudo-sanctuaries use the label to justify problematic practices.
The exploitation of the term "sanctuary" represents one of the most harmful forms of animal welfare greenwashing. Facilities that breed tigers for petting experiences, run elephant rides, or offer photo opportunities with wild animals while calling themselves sanctuaries are using welfare language to legitimize practices that cause significant animal harm. Genuine sanctuaries provide permanent homes for animals who cannot survive in the wild, avoiding breeding that would create new animals dependent on captivity, and refusing interactions that stress or harm animals. Before donating to or visiting any facility calling itself a sanctuary, the presence or absence of petting, riding, shows, and breeding programs is the clearest indicator of genuine versus exploitative intent.