Weaponizing Compassion: The Rise of the Pet Industry Bully...
The Rise of the Modern Day Witch Hunts.
After more than 30 years in the pet industry, I’ve pretty much seen it all—The transformative power of the human-animal bond, and the destructive force of unchecked ego, tribalism, and misplaced morality.
I’ve worked across industries: tourism, economic development, and high tech corporations, all places where high stakes didn’t stop people from behaving like professionals.
But nowhere—not in business, tourism, or the corporate world—have I witnessed as much toxicity, cruelty, or cutthroat behavior as I have in the pet world.
This industry, which claims to be about compassion, is more often a breeding ground for bullying, narcissism, and self-righteous crusades. I had to walk away for a time—for my mental health, and for the sake of remembering why I came into this space in the first place: to help animals, not survive an abusive relationship.
When Rescues Cross the Line
Recently, a deeply disturbing case rocked the responsible breeding community. A well-respected Golden Retriever breeder, gravely ill and reportedly under medication, had her dogs seized by the Washington County Humane Society—under what many now believe were false or misleading pretenses.
No charges. No veterinary assessments. Just a quiet raid followed by silence, gag orders, and outrage across the community.
This woman was known for her ethical breeding, health testing, and responsible placements. But it didn’t matter. She was vulnerable, and they came anyway. And now the question is echoing louder than ever: Have rescue organizations become the very thing they claim to oppose? Self-appointed, ideologically driven enforcers acting without accountability or oversight?
It’s not an isolated case. Across the continent, ethical breeders—especially those who speak out—are being targeted, while unethical backyard breeders and doodle mills fly under the radar, conveniently feeding the rescue pipeline with a steady supply of “rehomable” dogs.
We must ask: Is there something more sinister going on?
Are we witnessing a shift in the rescue world—from helping animals, to persecuting people? From saving lives, to monetizing outrage?
How many truly excellent, ethical breed preservationists have we already lost to shame, bullying, and character assassination? How many more will we lose before this industry wakes up? The change in mindset is as astonishing as it is terrifying.
Before you go on another modern-day witch hunt, I suggest you change your angle. We are in a crisis—and you’re on the wrong side.
Uncommon Sense: When Emotion Replaces Ethics
In today’s pet world, emotion has eclipsed reason. It is now acceptable—even encouraged—to cancel, harass, and defame anyone who dares to challenge the prevailing narrative.
Breeders are vilified. Trainers who use different tools or philosophies are automatically branded abusers. Pet owners trying to do right by their animals are shamed publicly.
Meanwhile, ‘greeders’—those mass-producing designer dogs for profit—keep churning out poorly bred litters, often with zero accountability, only to hand them off to rescues that then use their stories for donations.
It’s easy outrage. It’s lucrative outrage. And it’s deeply hypocritical.
How is it that ethical, preservation breeders—those preserving genetics, health, and temperament—are being hunted down, while the people who created this mess are untouched?
The answer may be hard to swallow because outrage pays. Doodles and other mixed breeds in shelters get attention. (Thanks to the uneducated propaganda that celebrities promote) They bring donations. Breed preservationists don’t.
And let’s not ignore another major player in this toxic landscape: the veterinary industry. Too often, pet owners are shamed into spending money they simply don’t have, guilted into costly procedures or diagnostics they just can’t afford, and made to feel like inadequate guardians if they question or hesitate. Holistic-minded pet owners and raw feeders, in particular, are frequently dismissed, ridiculed, or treated like fringe extremists for simply choosing a different path—one rooted in nutrition, prevention, and personal research. There’s a difference between advocating for care and weaponizing guilt—and many clinics have lost that distinction. In a world where pet insurance is still a luxury and inflation is real, shaming people into debt is not compassion—it’s coercion with a white coat.
The Narcissism Behind the Cause
Let’s be honest: a lot of people in this industry aren’t here for the animals—they’re here for the platform.
The trainer who shames others isn’t educating—they’re posturing.
The rescuer who calls all breeders evil isn’t protecting animals—they’re playing God.
The nutrition guru who trashes everyone who feeds differently isn’t informing—they’re feeding their ego.
And when these people act out, they’re not met with consequences—they’re met with applause.
Because nothing wins more likes than rage and righteousness.
But it’s not advocacy. It’s abuse with a halo.
Weaponizing Compassion: The Rise of the Pet World Bully
Social media has made it worse. It has weaponized compassion and turns it into a performance. Now, if you aren’t the loudest, angriest, and most extreme—you’re not doing enough.
Call someone abusive for using a leash correction. Applauded.
Shout down a breeder for existing? Applauded.
Start a smear campaign over a feeding choice? Applauded.
The pet industry doesn’t reward nuance. It punishes it.
And that’s how we got here—to a world where saying “maybe there’s more than one way” is more dangerous than screaming “you’re an abuser.”
What Happens Next?
If this doesn’t change, we’ll lose the very heart of animal welfare. We’ll continue to drive out the most skilled professionals, the most compassionate advocates, and the most thoughtful contributors. And we’ll be left with ideologues, extremists, and keyboard warriors.
We must reclaim this space.
We must bring back critical thinking.
We must make room for dialogue and disagreement without destruction.
We must hold space for people and animals.
Because no animal is helped by hate. No dog is saved through ego. And no progress is made by turning the pet world into a battlefield.
Final Thoughts: A Call to Real Advocates
If you’re in this industry and you truly care—then stand up.
Stand up for facts. Stand up for fairness. Stand up for the people doing good work who are being silenced by mobs.
Because this industry will not change unless we speak truth to the outrage, and compassion to the cruelty.
The animals need us. But they need us to be better.
So ask yourself: are you fighting for animals—or are you just fighting?
Let’s talk. 🐾
Erika Pardy - The Holistic Pet collective
Indeed. How often do animals fall victim to inflated righteous ego's.. It's heartbreaking.