The morality of theft

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People say stealing is wrong, but I want to know at what point stealing becomes more akin to rescuing.

Let's say a store sells betta fish.

As most know, stores are highly dishonest about what they actually need, they are over priced, and mistreated.
In this store, the betta fish never have water changed, most of them are ill, and as typical don't have near enough space for a fish that would in the wild have miles to itself. The poor dears are advertised as furniture. Heck maybe the insectivores are misadvertised as able to live off of a single plant, causing the buyers to slowly starve them to death in a much to small tank that is neither heated nor filtered.

Would it be wrong to steal them, and give them a far better environment without aiding the abusive sellers?

What about dogs?

What about going back in time and slaves?

What about a rooster that is forced to fight?

Is it okay to steal living things that are seen as property, when they are clearly being mistreated?

You're not fixing anything. Stealing fish from a store is not going to stop the store from abusing fish.

It’s petit larceny or petty theft—pure and simple.

you sound like a Peta terrorist.

It would be better to call Animal Control, rather than taking it upon yourself to take the rabbit.

I think stealing a living being because they're being abused is morally correct.

It would be morally wrong to knowingly allow a sentient being to suffer becuase they "belong " to someone .

Pets are property. Owners should feel free to dispose of them how they wish.

I’m a former Betta owner. I trained mine how to jump out of the water and eat food off my finger. They have lots of personality and are fun to care for. They got sick as they got older and I learned how to treat them with antibiotics and other chemicals depending on the illness. They lasted a long time as far as bettas go.

Stealing them and setting them free will not help them. They are bred for their tales and color. They are not adaptable to the wild, so setting them free is as good as killing them.

A moral justification for stealing?

Well...that depends on a few things. First, we have to agree that stealing is wrong. Second, we have to agree that laws are unfair that necessitate a life of crime in order to keep the moral high ground. Third, do people in positions of authority commit theft themselves? If so, is theft actually a crime? Is taking back what is rightfully yours moral? Then go. Have fun.

I’d call Daneskjold Recovery Services, the experts in looter location.

It's ok to steal slaves. DO NOT buy slaves with the intention of freeing them because that will raise the price of slaves until they capture more slaves so they can sell them to you so you can free them. They may even recapture slaves you've already freed and then sell them to you over and over again.