‘The most insane hateful people I’ve ever seen in my life run rescues': Cat lovers online expose the reality of animal shelter employees

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Apr 6, 2025 7:00 AM EDT

When it comes to animal shelters, we love to watch the videos of furry friends finding their furever homes. These animals deserve the best! And these rescues and shelters are doing the work to make sure no domesticated animal is on the streets. The cat community is a huge one! Obviously, we know that, you know that, and anyone who has scrolled through cat videos online knows that. There are cat rescues videos left and right. We're big fans of the universe's cat distribution system! But when the universe is having trouble delivering to a cat person ready to be a pawrent, shelters and rescues do the rest. 

 

Many people automatically think that only the kindest of people must work at rescues and shelters because they are helping some of the most innocent of creatures on the planet! However, everything has a dark side…

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  • A reddit thread has sparked where many people expose the reality: That many shelter and rescue employees are actually horrible people. Maybe they care about animals, but they sure don't seem to have any empathy for humans. Plus, there turns out to be a huge territory gang-like terf war when it comes to some shelters, causing them to not work together. Which is crazy, because isn't the whole point to find these animals a home and wouldn't that work a lot better if everyone worked as a team?? Beware, Karens are everywhere… 

  • Cheezburger Image 10489235968
    via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "Got personal hate from a rescue that doesn't like my shelter."

    I reached out, innocently I thought, to a newer local cat rescue to make a connection, as they're close by and I wanted to offer a little bit of help. I don't want to go over the details, but because the person who runs the rescue
    via Sufficient-Maize-606
  • doesn't like some policies of the shelter where I work, which are A) not in effect anymore and B) nothing to do with me, she got really mean. I used my personal email address, and she posted the email, with my first and last name and
    via Sufficient-Maize-606
  • personal email, on instagram, with a caption about how much she hated my organization. I managed. to convince her to take it down after telling her I was afraid of getting fired and of bu ying, but she never apologized or admitted to
    via Sufficient-Maize-606
  • not knowing what its like to work in a large shelter any more than I know what it's like to run a small rescue. I am stunned. There are other organizations I could criticize (privately and respectfully) but I know everyone in this field has
    via Sufficient-Maize-606
  • the same goals and cares the same amount. I feel naive to always assume the best in people who love animals and I'm just so shocked that not everyone feels that way. I've been in this field in some form or another for 5 years but I am still so new.
    via Sufficient-Maize-606
  • Cheezburger Image 10489242112
    via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Lonely_Ad8964 Have had similar "territorial" issues with some small rescues. We are clearly not doing rescue to make money yet some people think we're "poaching" on their operation.
    via Lonely_Ad8964
  • I want the kittens and cats and other animals in forever homes and the money we put into our rescue is easily 10- fold what we charge for an adoption fee. Sheesh!
    via Lonely_Ad8964
  • Friendly_TSE I hate the territory business of shelters and rescues. I've been a part of multiple various board meetings with many different organizations, hearing the big wigs discuss how the new org in town is 'cutting into' their donations, and how to effectively take more of the pie.
    via Friendly_TSE
  • We should be in this together, working alongside each other towards a common goal. Instead we're treating each other like business rivals. It is disgusting.
    via Friendly_TSE
  • Cheezburger Image 10489242368
    via Unsplash+ (and Thomas Park)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • sugar-magnolia The most insane hateful people I've ever seen in my life run rescues. I'm not saying all rescues are run by crazy people, but I've seen a ridiculous amount of online bu ying done by rescues against other rescues or shelters. It's crazy.
    via sugar-magnolia
  • fook75 Some of the nastiest people I have ever met work in rescue. It's really sad. We should be working towards a common goal.
    via fook75
  • ughneedausername I think you meet the best and the worst people when you're involved in animal rescue. Join the right group and you save lives and work with other rescues. The rescue I foster for had one of our volunteers at a local shelter. Another rescue was pulling a time stamped dog we were going to evaluate.
    via ughneedausername
  • Other rescue said if we can take this dog, they would take another time stamped dog. So two lives saved, no egos in the way. I wish it were always like that.
    via ughneedausername
  • Cheezburger Image 10489242624
    via Unsplash+ (and Kateryna Hliznitsova)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Cute-Obligations The nuttiest I've ever met are in wildlife rescue. The second are in (domestic) animal rescue. I'm sorry you had this experience, I always expect other rescues to be in it either
    via Cute-Obligations
  • for the money, or have substandard care, or are straight up lying until I learn otherwise. It was a hard lesson to learn for me, how territorial people are around animal care and keeping it so they are the only ones that can do it. It's bonkers.
    via Cute-Obligations
  • MegaP... WOW that is wildly unprofessional of her! I don't know if it was appropriate on your end, but IMO, unless your org was legitimately harming animals, she should have handled the situation differently:
    via MegaPiglatin
  • preparing a PR statement that clearly states what her org's beliefs are > sharing that statement with anyone who asks or claims your two orgs are more aligned than they are. Trying to publicly blast not only your org but you personally is just trashy and unhelpful.
    via MegaPiglatin

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