A Rockaway Beach kitten rescue is standing by its adoption screening practices after a social media post declaring that MAGA supporters, conservatives and even self-described apolitical applicants need not apply drew widespread criticism, including a public call from PETA to drop the policy.
Itty Bitty City Kitties, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that specializes in orphaned and neonatal kittens, feral-cat welfare and adoptions, posted a message reviewed by Fox News Digital that read in part: “MAGA? Nope.” “Conservative? Nope.” “‘I’m not political’? Nice loophole. Still nope.” An accompanying kitten image carried the words “NO. F—ING. MAGA.”
The post gained broader attention after the account Libs of TikTok shared it on X, raising questions about whether the language reflected the rescue’s actual screening practices.
Samantha Knox, who has publicly identified herself as the rescue’s director, told Fox News Digital that the organization’s central concern is the welfare of the animals in its care.
“As an animal welfare rescue, our primary responsibility is ensuring the animals in our care go to safe, compassionate homes,” Knox said.
Knox said the rescue evaluates “public conduct and demonstrated values,” arguing that a record of “celebrat[ing] cruelty” can signal a risk to an animal’s safety.
“A history of celebrating harm or abuse, be it toward people or animals, is one of the biggest red flags in animal rescue,” she said. “We stand by our mission and will never place a vulnerable animal with anyone, ever, who we feel is a danger to the welfare of the animal.”
Asked directly whether someone who identifies as MAGA or conservative, but has no documented history of animal cruelty, threats, neglect or violence, would be eligible to adopt, Knox did not answer yes or no.
“Itty Bitty City Kitties does not screen or reject applicants based on registered political party affiliation,” she said. “MAGA is a political movement and ideology, not a recognized political party.” She added that evaluations focus on “conduct, ethical alignment, and animal safety,” and that the rescue “reserve[s] the right to reject any application where an applicant’s expressed values, public statements, or actions demonstrate a failure to meet our safety and welfare standards.”
Pressed a second time on the same question, Knox again declined to give a direct answer, saying that “media-driven requests to force complex animal welfare evaluations into a binary ‘yes or no’ premise fundamentally misrepresent how responsible adoption screenings operate.” She said “active support for or alignment with social movements” the rescue views as normalizing cruelty can count as “actionable conduct,” with decisions made “holistically under these welfare and safety standards.”
Knox also shared screenshots with Fox News Digital that she said showed explicit, hostile messages sent to the rescue after its political posts, which she said illustrate the kind of conduct the organization weighs when assessing prospective homes.
PETA pushes back
PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk told Fox News Digital that political identity has no bearing on whether someone will care for an animal well.
“Homeless animals don’t care which side of abortion you are on or whether you believe in global warming or support Palestine or Israel, or if you don’t vote at all, ever: they care if you love them and will give them a good home,” Newkirk said. “We hope this policy, which is humancentric, is reconsidered and abolished.”
In a separate statement, PETA said rescues should rely on “objective animal-welfare factors” — an applicant’s history of animal care, capacity to meet an animal’s needs, and any evidence of cruelty, neglect or violence — rather than political affiliation. “Shelters and rescues exist to protect animals, not to serve as political gatekeepers,” the organization said, while acknowledging that a person’s documented treatment of people and animals can be a legitimate consideration. “Anyone who condones, celebrates, or participates in harming animals demonstrates a troubling lack of empathy,” PETA said.
What the public adoption policy says
Itty Bitty City Kitties’ public adoption page describes a “Fully Supported Adoption Model” requiring an application, references, employment and living information, a phone interview, and a FaceTime or Zoom interview in place of an in-person home visit. Its published “MUST LIST” tells adopters to keep pets current on veterinary care, keep them indoors or leashed, never declaw them, plan for travel, illness or death, avoid giving an animal away, and demonstrate the financial ability to care for it. That published list makes no mention of MAGA, conservatism, or political ideology.
The rescue’s account has posted other political content. On Sept. 10, it shared an image of a kitten with the words “Kittens. Don’t. Mourn. Nazis,” captioned “Just a little kitten making sure we all know where we stand,” with hashtags including “#kitten,” “#cat,” “#politics” and “#iykyk.” The post did not name conservative activist Charlie Kirk, but it was published exactly one year after his assassination at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.
Knox defended the rescue’s right to take such positions, saying 501(c)(3) organizations may maintain issue-based standards tied to their mission so long as they avoid partisan campaign activity. Itty Bitty City Kitties is also listed among New York state’s registered pet rescues.
