BS BULLETIN:

• Itty Bitty City Kitties posted that MAGA supporters, conservatives and even people claiming to be “not political” could be rejected as adopters.
• PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk says homeless animals care about getting a loving home, not their prospective owner’s politics.
• The Rockaway Beach rescue isn’t backing down, arguing an applicant’s expressed values and public conduct can be relevant to animal welfare.

Apparently, adopting a kitten in New York City can now come with a political litmus test.

Itty Bitty City Kitties, a Rockaway Beach-based nonprofit specializing in orphaned and neonatal kittens, attracted attention with a social-media post laying out exactly who might have trouble making it through its adoption process.

“MAGA? Nope.”

“Conservative? Nope.”

“‘I’m not political’? Nice loophole. Still nope.”

And just in case there was any ambiguity, the accompanying kitten image declared: “NO. F—ING. MAGA.”

That was enough to produce an unusual political alliance: PETA is telling the animal rescue to knock it off.

PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk told Fox News Digital that homeless animals don’t care about an adopter’s position on abortion or global warming, whether they support Israel or Palestine, or even whether they vote. “They care if you love them and will give them a good home,” Newkirk said.

PETA called political affiliation an unreliable way of determining whether someone will be a responsible pet owner and said rescues should instead examine things such as an applicant’s history of animal care, ability to provide for an animal and evidence of cruelty, neglect or violence. “Shelters and rescues exist to protect animals, not to serve as political gatekeepers,” PETA said.

Itty Bitty City Kitties director Samantha Knox sees things differently. Knox told Fox that her organization evaluates “public conduct and demonstrated values,” arguing that a history of celebrating harm or abuse toward either humans or animals can be a warning sign.

The rescue also made an interesting distinction when Fox asked whether MAGA and conservative applicants could actually be rejected. “Itty Bitty City Kitties does not screen or reject applicants based on registered political party affiliation,” Knox said. “MAGA is a political movement and ideology, not a recognized political party.” Instead, Knox said the organization considers “conduct, ethical alignment and animal safety.”

Fox then made the question considerably harder to dodge.

Could someone who identifies as MAGA or conservative — but has no documented history of cruelty, threats, neglect or violence — adopt a kitten? Knox wouldn’t give a yes-or-no answer.

She said attempts to reduce animal-welfare screening to a binary question misrepresent the process and added that support for movements the organization believes promote cruelty or human suffering can itself be treated as “actionable conduct.”

The rescue’s publicly posted adoption requirements don’t mention MAGA, conservatism or political ideology.

They do require applicants to provide references, employment and living information, undergo a phone interview and complete a FaceTime or Zoom interview. Owners must also promise veterinary care, no declawing and indoor living or leashed outdoor time, among other requirements.

And this isn’t the rescue’s first excursion into politics.

On Sept. 10, its social-media account posted a kitten image reading “Kittens. Don’t. Mourn. Nazis.” The caption said, “For absolutely no reason at all on this day one year later…” The post did not name Charlie Kirk, but it appeared exactly one year after his Sept. 10, 2025 assassination.

For now, Itty Bitty City Kitties is standing its ground.

So is PETA.

MY QUICK TAKE

You know you’ve wandered pretty far out onto the political limb when PETA is the organization in the room saying, “Guys, maybe we should just find the kitten a home.”

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

• Fox News — NYC kitten rescue defends “NO F—ING MAGA” adoption policy
• Itty Bitty City Kitties — official website
• PETA — official website