PETA refutes California woman who won’t allow gun supporters to adopt pets

The nonprofit animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has pushed back against a California animal shelter’s decision to turn away potential pet adopters because of their opinions on gun control.

“We do not support those who believe the 2nd Amendment gives them the right to purchase assault weapons,” wrote the Shelter Hope Pet Shop in Thousand Oaks, Calif., according to their website. “If your beliefs don’t match ours, we won’t adopt a pet for you.”

“If you hesitate, because your core belief is that you believe teachers should carry guns, you will not be approved to adopt from us,” the shelter continued. “If you are hosting us and believe in guns, please bring our dogs and/or cats back, or we will arrange for them to be picked up.” People who lie about being members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) will potentially be prosecuted for fraud, the shelter further warned.

Catie Cryar, PETA’s deputy director, told Fox News Digital that they know the shelter “to do a good job and are sure we have the best of intentions, but from PETA’s perspective, because there’s a crisis of homeless animals, what matters is that adopted animals are well cared for and cared for and that is the criterion we believe is important.”

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The Shelter Hope Pet Shop is owned by actress Kim Sill, who defended her expectations of potential adoptions with Fox News, particularly given the impact of gun violence on her family.

“In 1998 my sister was shot by her husband,” she said. “He bought a gun two days ago with no sanity check and killed her.”

Sill said the tragedy prompted her to take up animal rescue, which she says likely saved her from suicide.

She said the shelter’s policy was prompted by the recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, as well as a nearby shooting that took place near the shelter in 2018.

Kim Sill at the Regency Theater on August 15, 2015 in Agoura Hills, California.
(JB Lacroix/WireImage via Getty Images)

“Adoption centers like mine turn people away for all kinds of reasons,” Sill noted. “They can deny you the type of dog food you tell them you’re going to use on this dog you want, or the type of kitty litter. I mean, seriously, we’re a private, non-profit organization, and we pride ourselves on trying to find the best homes for dogs and cats that we can.”

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“But adding this gun control question, I guess, sparked the conversation with those who don’t believe they should even have to tell me what their situation is,” she continued. . “So I think that’s the deciding factor for most of them.”

She noted that some were turned away because they didn’t want to answer the gun control question during the shelter’s hour-long interview process.

Shelter Hope Pet Shop Founder Kim Sill and guest attend the Shelter Hope Pet Shop 20th Anniversary Celebration at St. John Knits on September 25, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California.
(Lilly Lawrence/WireImage)

“I would say your views on guns are relevant because, God forbid if you have a stroke, and your wife calls me and tells me to come to your house and get the dog,” Sill continued. “I may not feel safe coming to your house knowing that you are very radically opposed to what I think is not acceptable for an 18 year old to have a gun.”

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Sill also said she received hundreds of death threats from people calling the shelter, but added that she forgives them.