NYC Kitten Rescue Defends Controversial Adoption Policy, Denying MAGA Supporters
The animal rescue organization Itty Bitty City Kitties faces backlash from PETA and others over its explicit adoption screening, which excludes individuals aligned with the MAGA movement and conservative ideologies.
A New York City-based kitten rescue is defending its controversial adoption policy that explicitly states supporters of the MAGA movement, conservatives, and those who identify as apolitical need not apply. Itty Bitty City Kitties, a Rockaway Beach rescue specializing in orphaned and neonatal kittens, has drawn criticism, including from PETA, which is calling for the policy to be abolished.
In a social media post that gained wider attention, the rescue declared "NO F---ING MAGA." The organization's director, Samantha Knox, defended the screening process, stating that the primary responsibility is the welfare of the animals. "As an animal welfare rescue, our primary responsibility is ensuring the animals in our care go to safe, compassionate homes," Knox told Fox News Digital. She argued that a record of "celebrat[ing] cruelty" can raise concerns about an applicant’s suitability to care for an animal.
Knox elaborated that adoption evaluations focus on "conduct, ethical alignment, and animal safety," and that the rescue reserves the right to reject any applicant whose expressed values, public statements, or actions demonstrate a failure to meet their safety and welfare standards. She clarified that "MAGA is a political movement and ideology, not a recognized political party," and that Itty Bitty City Kitties does not screen or reject applicants based on registered political party affiliation. However, she added that "active support for or alignment with social movements" that the rescue believes normalize or promote cruelty can be treated as "actionable conduct."
PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk stated that homeless animals do not care about political affiliations but rather if they are loved and will have a good home. "We hope this policy, which is humancentric, is reconsidered and abolished," Newkirk said. While PETA acknowledges that an applicant's actions, statements, and demonstrated treatment of people and animals can be relevant to an adoption decision, they maintain that political affiliation is not a reliable measure of a good guardian. "Shelters and rescues exist to protect animals, not to serve as political gatekeepers," PETA said in a statement.
Itty Bitty City Kitties has also used its social media for other political messages. In September, the rescue posted an image of a kitten with the words "Kittens. Don’t. Mourn. Nazis." The post was made on the anniversary of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Knox invoked the rescue's 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, arguing that such organizations are permitted to maintain issue-based standards aligned with their missions, as long as they do not engage in partisan political campaigning.
The rescue's public adoption page outlines requirements such as keeping animals up to date on veterinary care, maintaining a plan for emergencies, and not giving away animals they can no longer care for. These publicly listed requirements do not mention political ideology.