The Wagmor controversy isn’t just a matter of squabbling about the right way to save animals. It shows how California — struggling with an overpopulation of strays — has failed to regulate private rescue groups, allowing them to operate outside the sphere of municipal shelters and set their own rules.

“It has gotten so crazy,” says Madeline Bernstein, president of SpcaLA.“There is a lot of game playing with that word, ‘rescue.’”

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Rescue groups tend to get dogs from the streets, overcrowded shelters and owners who surrender pets they can no longer keep. These methods are widely accepted.

But should buying a purebred from a breeder — even an irresponsible one — count as a rescue? What about purchasing at auctions where puppies are treated as a commodity? Or importing strays from other states?

“It’s a debate that happens among us all the time,” Bernstein says.

The distinction matters to private groups whose work can be frustrating. They often keep animals in their homes and must scramble for donations because the nominal fees they charge don’t cover food or veterinary bills. Some of their older mutts might never get adopted.

The possibility of purebreds going to people who want to adopt, who might otherwise take a less fancy dog, angers many in the field who confront such challenges.

California ranked among the national leaders with about 27,000 dogs euthanized last year, according to the Shelter Animals Count database. In shelters operated by Los Angeles County, euthanasia rates have run as high as 35%.

Most of the laws addressing this crisis focus on breeders. The state has banned them from selling in pet stores — which can now display only rescues — and the city of Los Angeles has placed a moratorium on new breeding permits. Private rescues face less oversight.

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