Small Pet Transfer to Humane Society of Southern Arizona

Update as of March 14, 2024

After months of investigation and consultations with our legal team, San Diego Humane Society would like to provide a final update on the transport of 323 small pets to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) on Aug. 7, 2023.

The circumstances surrounding this transport remain unprecedented in animal welfare, and we are saddened to still have unanswered questions related to the final outcome of the missing animals. This is heartbreaking for everyone at San Diego Humane Society, and for so many people who share our passion for animals.

As previously shared, San Diego Humane Society hired a private investigator with the goal of finding further definitive evidence as to our animals’ outcomes—evidence that would inform our decision making as we pursue justice and accountability. While the circumstantial evidence is strong and disturbing, this investigation did not yield definitive proof of the animals’ outcomes.

San Diego Humane Society has followed the efforts of both the Tucson Police Department and Apache Junction Police Department as they have considered the possibility of filing criminal charges. Unfortunately, both entities have declined to move forward with a criminal case due to a lack of evidence. San Diego Humane Society does not have jurisdiction to conduct a criminal investigation and can only pursue civil claims independently. The filing of criminal charges is at the sole discretion of these police districts.

We have worked extensively with our legal team to review the legal options that are available and conferred with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona about the possibility of a joint legal action. At this point in time, we have determined that due to a lack of definitive evidence as to the outcomes of the animals that there is not a credible legal case to pursue. Should new evidence become available, we will examine it and reevaluate our options.

We remain heartbroken by the likely outcome for these animals who were loved deeply by our staff and volunteers. We know that our team members and volunteers who cared for these individual animals continue to feel their loss.

What happened with this transport was unimaginable — nothing like it has ever happened in the history of animal welfare. And as we move forward, we will take action to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.

First, San Diego Humane Society is establishing new protocols that will be used in any future transports of animals from our organization. These protocols include clear expectations about the outcomes for animals transported to partner organizations. This level of detail was not standard practice prior to this transport, but it will be for San Diego Humane Society moving forward.

Next, we will work to create and advocate for legislative proposals to ban the sale of small pets in California pet stores. This is essential to reducing the overpopulation of these animals in shelters and address this problem at its root.

We appreciate the concern that everyone in our community has shown for these animals and want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who care deeply for animals, both big and small. Thank you for your compassion for these small pets and for your gracious support throughout this challenging time.

Update as of November 30, 2023

On Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) released a report detailing the findings of their internal investigation into the transport of 323 small pets from San Diego Humane Society. The complete report is available to view on HSSA’s website.

We appreciate the thoroughness with which HSSA performed this duty and outlined the actions of their now-former leadership. The report reinforces that San Diego Humane Society was not responsible in any way for the presumed tragic outcome of the animals — nor was our staff aware at any point prior to the transfer that the small pets would be placed with a single unaccredited, family-run private group. The decision to place the animals with Colten Jones, an individual who runs a reptile breeding company called The Fertile Turtle, was made solely by former HSSA leadership. While we remain devastated by this outcome, we are grateful for HSSA’s transparency and their work to determine what happened to these animals.

Upon reviewing the report, San Diego Humane Society would like to clarify several points:

The total number of small pets transported to HSSA was 323.

The animals transported were evaluated by the team at San Diego Humane Society, including animal service and medical staff members, and determined to be in good health prior to travel. The claims made by Colten Jones that some animals were suffering from long-term health issues indicating insufficient care provided by San Diego Humane Society are untrue.

The timeline of events provided in Appendix A of HSSA’s report show that the small pets were transported safely to HSSA on Monday, Aug. 7. Based on the information in the timeline, the next documented communication between San Diego Humane Society leadership and HSSA appears to be Aug. 28. We would like to clarify that there were multiple text message exchanges between San Diego Humane Society and HSSA throughout the month of August seeking proof of the outcomes of these animals. In the days immediately following the transport, San Diego Humane Society reached out to request adoption updates and outcome information for the small pets. We were repeatedly assured that the animals were being placed in adoptive homes. We have remained engaged in discovering the outcomes of the small pets since the day of the transfer.

Based on the findings of this report, it can be reasonably assumed that all of the small pets who are still unaccounted for were used as feeders for reptiles. While we cannot overstate the heartbreak this has caused our staff, volunteers, animal welfare advocates and members of the community, the completion of HSSA’s investigation allows us to focus our efforts on identifying what legal actions are available to pursue, while we continue to meet the needs of the animals and people in our community.

To that end, San Diego Humane Society’s investigation is ongoing. We will continue to follow-up with the Tucson Police Department as they evaluate the viability of filing criminal charges. If anyone has new information to share, please contact the Tucson Police Department, referencing Case #P2311020076.

As we pursue all avenues towards closure of this tragedy, our commitment to the well-being of all animals remains steadfast. We appreciate the incredible compassion for these small pets shown by members of the San Diego and Tucson communities, and we will continue to provide updates about our next steps for legal action as those become clear.

Update as of November 15, 2023

San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) shares the incredible pain of animal lovers everywhere who are heartbroken at the likely outcome for the small pets transferred from SDHS to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) last August. We now believe that it is likely that these animals were not adopted into homes but instead utilized as reptile feeder animals. We appreciate the passion that so many in our community bring to helping animals, to finding out what happened to the small pets who are still missing and to holding those responsible for their outcome accountable. We welcome our community’s thoughts, questions and concerns about this situation, and encourage those with information to continue sharing it.

At the same time, there is a coordinated attempt to spread misinformation about this transport on SDHS social media platforms that is aimed at harming specific staff at SDHS and disparaging the work of our organization.

Moving forward, to ensure our online community is not a source of misinformation, SDHS will delete comments and block commenters who engage in social media posts only to stoke anger against those who are not at fault, spread misinformation or ask questions that have already been addressed on our transport update page at sdhumane.org/transportupdate. Anyone wishing to share additional information or concerns related to this transport can contact us at [email protected].

Our commitment to the wellbeing of all animals remains steadfast. We want to thank everyone who shares our concern for these animals and our commitment to uncovering definitive information about their final outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Why did San Diego Humane Society undertake this transport?
At the time of this transport, San Diego Humane Society had more than 400 small pets in care. Animal transport is a widely used lifesaving tool for animal shelters across the country. Shelters transport animals regularly to provide them with a better chance for adoption and this is a standard lifesaving practice for animal sheltering organizations.

What due diligence did SDHS undertake to ensure these animals were going to be safe upon arrival at HSSA?
SDHS transported the animals to what had been a trusted partner: the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. This shelter was also trusted by many other local and national groups. They shared our same lifesaving commitment of zero euthanasia for healthy and treatable shelter animals. As is standard practice for the hundreds of animal transports that occur around the country each year, we vetted the receiving organization — a 501(c)(3) organization with 79 years of service to its community. We then relied on HSSA to vet its rescue partners.

Did SDHS have any information before the transfer that the animals would go to a reptile breeder?
No. SDHS staff were told that the animals would be taken into care by HSSA and that they would work with their rescue partners to accommodate the small pets coming into their care. The HSSA board of directors verified this in their Oct. 5 press conference in which they stated that SDHS was not responsible for the actions of HSSA’s former leaders who violated the trust of both communities.

An initial letter from attorneys for HSSA in September stated that SDHS had advance knowledge of the fact that these animals were being sent to a single unverified entity. HSSA has since acknowledged that this was false and has corrected this on their website.

What is SDHS doing to ensure something like this never happens again?
What has happened with this transport was unimaginable — nothing like it has ever happened before. Moving forward, SDHS will take the following steps to ensure it never happens again:
- Require a signed contract dictating the care standards, pathways and specific outcomes of all animals transported.
- Work to advance legislation that will ban the sale of small pets in California pet stores, driving down the overpopulation of these pets in shelters.

What legal remedies will SDHS pursue?
Legal consequences may be either criminal or civil. San Diego Humane Society has hired a private investigator to find further definitive evidence as to these animals’ outcomes, which will inform what legal accountability may be available.

Additionally, San Diego Humane Society is actively engaged with our legal advisors to explore opportunity for civil litigation.

The question of criminal liability is outside of SDHS’ control. Both SDHS and HSSA have communicated with the Tucson Police Department (the entity which has jurisdiction in this matter) and provided all the information we have. We encourage others with information to contact the Tucson PD at (520) 791-4444 and reference case number P2311020076.

Update as of November 9, 2023: Joint Media Statement

Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) and San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) are providing an update regarding the transfer of small pets from SDHS to HSSA on August 7, 2023. As we now know, HSSA transferred over 300 animals to an individual named Colten Jones. Ultimately 62 animals were returned to HSSA and we have worked since their return to determine the outcome for the missing animals.

We have now received new information that sheds light on the likely outcome for the remaining animals. The day after receiving these animals, Colten Jones sent a text message seeking assistance in processing a high volume of Guinea pigs and rabbits for food. We know that Mr. Jones runs a reptile breeding company called The Fertile Turtle. A part of this business includes selling both live and frozen animals for reptile feed.

The board, staff and volunteers of HSSA and SDHS share our community’s outrage and this latest piece of information that clearly indicates Mr. Jones’ intention to use these animals as feed instead of finding them adoptive homes. We are heartbroken for every one of these animals and every individual who shares our concern for them.

We have a responsibility to seek definitive answers about the fate of these animals. We've consistently stated our commitment to pursuing legal action when warranted. In light of this recent information, SDHS will collaborate with its legal advisors to advance both civil and criminal proceedings, and HSSA is considering legal action as well. To facilitate further investigation, both organizations encourage anyone possessing relevant information to contact the Tucson Police Department, referencing Case #P2311020076.

Additionally, HSSA’s internal investigation has concluded, and its report will be published in early December. SDHS’s investigation is ongoing. These investigations and corresponding recommendations are critical to ensure this tragedy never happens again and that those who are responsible are held accountable.

We appreciate those in our community who have continued to seek answers as to the final outcome of these missing pets and have been instrumental in uncovering new information. We will continue to update you as more information becomes available. Both SDHS and HSSA have dedicated web pages for updates, which can be found here and at hssaz.org/faq/.

Update as of October 30, 2023

San Diego Humane Society understands that many community members share our concern about the outcomes of the small pets transferred to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA). We appreciate the ongoing concern for these animals, and would like to provide an update and address some of the questions we have received.

On Oct. 20, the investigator hired by the board of HSSA completed the fact-gathering phase of her investigation, in which we participated, and is compiling a report of their findings. We anticipate that this report will be released in the next couple of weeks. When the report is released, HSSA will make it available and we will share it as well.

While this initial effort is complete, our investigation is continuing. San Diego Humane Society has secured a private investigator to continue pursuing the answers that our staff, volunteers, community members and animals deserve. HSSA and San Diego Humane Society have preliminarily reached out to the Tucson Police Department and they have asked for additional evidence that we are in the process of compiling. While we share our community’s hope that this investigation will yield answers quickly, time is needed to conduct a thorough investigation. We appreciate our community’s patience and understanding while this investigation is underway.

In the meantime, we would like to address some questions that we have received. Additionally, we will continue to provide updates as soon as we have more information to share.

How could San Diego Humane Society have transported these animals to HSSA and not know where all the animals were going?

San Diego Humane Society transported these animals with the understanding that HSSA would work with their rescue community to place the animals into new adoptive homes. As such, SDHS did know where the animals were going: to a trusted partner and an organization that we understood to share our same lifesaving standards of zero euthanasia for healthy or treatable shelter animals. When we transported the animals, it was with the understanding that they would be cared for by HSSA and adopted into homes or placed with local schools and trusted, reputable rescue partners.

Why did San Diego Humane Society not vet the rescue partners that HSSA was going to work with on this transport?

When transferring animals, it is not standard practice for the transferring shelter to require additional information about what partners a receiving shelter will work with to adopt the animals into new homes. It is common practice for shelters to work with rescues in their local communities.

Is San Diego Humane Society taking accountability for this situation?

San Diego Humane Society has been severely impacted by this situation. However, as stated by the board chair of HSSA, San Diego Humane Society engaged in this transport in good faith, followed best practices and is not responsible for the actions of HSSA’s former leadership. The complete statement from their board chair can be found here.

Prior to the transport, San Diego Humane Society appropriately coordinated with HSSA staff in a manner that aligns with other transports happening throughout the animal welfare community. We trusted the decision to partner with an animal welfare organization with nearly 80 years of service to their community, and we operated with the understanding that HSSA would adopt out the animals or place them with their own trusted network of rescue partners. SDHS staff are not accountable for the breach in trust of the former HSSA leadership team.

What changes are you making to ensure this never happens again?

San Diego Humane Society is a nationally known receiving shelter and has rarely transferred animals from our shelter. We expect outgoing transports will continue to be rare — however, any future transport protocols will be adapted to include additional measures that ensure any receiving organization commits to following all appropriate standards for rescue partnerships and adoptions, as well as a rigorous agreement to provide updates, adoption progress and ultimate dispositions of the animals.

Was the truck that was used to transport the animals humane?

Yes. The animals were safely transported to Arizona in a temperature-controlled truck. Best practices in transporting small animals as outlined by both the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement’s Transport Best Practices as well as the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters and Fear Free methods were employed throughout the transport. The animals were safe at all times during the transport and the temperature and condition of the animals was verified multiple times during the drive to Tucson. The truck was driven by San Diego Humane Society staff.

Did any pets die in transport?

No. All the pets arrived safely. After a thorough audit, we can confirm that the total number was 323 small pets.

Did San Diego Humane Society know that the pets would be sent directly to the Fertile Turtle?

No. San Diego Humane Society had no knowledge that the pets would be sent to any organization that was not a credentialed shelter or rescue group.

Was San Diego Humane Society paid by HSSA for the animals?

No.

Why aren’t other law enforcement agencies investigating?

The Tucson Police Department (TPD) has been contacted and San Diego Humane Society and HSSA are working collaboratively to compile and present information to TPD. Further legal action will be taken if appropriate based on existing information and our ongoing investigation.

San Diego Humane Society and Humane Society of Southern Arizona Join Together to Seek Answers on the Status of Small Animals.
Both organizations committed to improving systems to ensure the safety and wellbeing of animals.

Update as of October 10, 2023

San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) have pledged mutual support and collaboration in a continued investigation into the outcome of the animals transported from SDHS to HSSA.

Our efforts are focused on:

Obtaining definitive information on the disposition of the missing animals transferred to Trevor Jones
Hiring a licensed private investigator to work with HSSA’s investigator and ongoing investigation
Our legal teams working collaboratively to pursue legal action if any laws have been broken related to the outcome for these animals

“The importance of having full transparency around the final outcome of these animals cannot be overstated,” noted Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of SDHS. “Both organizations share a profound commitment to the animals, and to every staff member, volunteer and animal advocate who was betrayed by the egregious violations of the ethical principles that guide everyone who works in animal welfare.”

“Animal transports are a foundational, lifesaving tool for animal welfare agencies across the country,” added Robert Garcia, board chair, HSSA. “While the circumstances that brought us here were inconceivable, both organizations pledge to learn from this, turn this incident into one that can improve the lives of small pets, further protect them when transferred to new organizations and limit the availability of these animals for sale by retail businesses, one of the factors that is causing the oversupply of small pets throughout the country.”

While both organizations continue to search for answers, we recognize that some have drawn conclusions about the outcome of these animals. Optimism is difficult to maintain as the facts are presented. This has been one of the most challenging periods in our organizations’ histories, and both SDHS and HSSA understand and share the pain and frustration of everyone who is committed to helping animals. Despite this, we pledge to work together to find the truth and move forward in our collective missions to inspire compassion and make the world better for animals and the people who love them.

San Diego Humane Society Issues an Update on Inquiry Into the Status of Small Animals Transported to HSSA

Update as of October 5, 2023

San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) wishes to provide an update regarding the recent developments surrounding the transfer of small pets to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) on August 7, 2023.

Today, HSSA's board announced that they have dismissed CEO Steve Farley and accepted the resignation of Chief Programs Officer Christian Gonzalez. These actions are significant steps forward as we look to address their actions around the transfer of small pets from SDHS to HSSA. We join the HSSA board in recognizing this is not the end of the matter and will continue to pursue definitive proof about the status of the missing animals.

We appreciate the recognition from HSSA Board Chair Robert Garcia that San Diego Humane Society was not responsible for the actions of HSSA’s former leaders who violated the trust of both communities.

Transparency is the cornerstone of our work in animal welfare and essential to maintaining the trust of our communities. It fosters accountability and demonstrates that our actions are in the best interest of the animals and people we serve. We strongly assert that transparency is not an option we choose — it is a necessity.

We have the support of 15 of our country’s largest animal welfare organizations in urging HSSA to provide a detailed accounting of the outcomes of our missing animals. You can read the letter sent to HSSA Board of Directors Chairperson Robert Garcia here.

We hope to gain information about the missing animals as quickly as possible so all parties can move forward in our lifesaving work. SDHS is pleased that the Board has held Steve Farley and Christian Gonzalez accountable for their actions. While critical questions still remain, we urge everyone in the animal welfare community to recognize the good work that HSSA has provided for their community and, we expect, will continue to provide. This incident, while deeply disturbing, is not indicative of the work of many of the dedicated staff, volunteers and board members who are there for the animals of the Tucson community.

As we seek a conclusive resolution to this matter, San Diego Humane Society will continue to keep our community apprised of any new information we obtain. We remain committed to finding clarity around the final outcome of these animals and to supporting our staff, volunteers and the entire animal welfare community who share our concerns.

HSSA Statement: Letter to the Community from HSSA Board Chairman, Robert Garcia

Update as of October 1, 2023

The actions taken by HSSA's board to suspend CEO Steve Farley and Chief Programs Officer Christian Gonzalez in response to this matter is a step in the right direction, but we are deeply saddened and angered by the potential outcome of our animals, as reported by Arizona Public Media. You can read the article here.

While the outcome of our animals is not confirmed, with this information it is clear that these individuals at HSSA have betrayed our trust and their mission, as they have been dishonest from the beginning about their intentions to work with their rescue community to help find homes for these animals. Our focus now is to find out the truth about the animals we entrusted to HSSA's care and to support our staff, volunteers and entire community of animal advocates who share our concerns.

San Diego Humane Society is committed to seeking transparency and accountability in this matter. Our actions include:

Continuing to pursue legal options, which may include legal action against HSSA and hiring a private investigator to confirm the outcome of our animals.
Continuing to mobilize support from other animal welfare organizations to help determine the outcome of all of our animals.

We remain dedicated to protecting the interests of the animals involved and will continue to provide updates as we gather more information.

Update as of September 27, 2023

San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) wishes to provide an update regarding the transport of 318 small animals from our shelter on August 7, 2023, to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA).

In our pursuit of transparency, we initiated a formal request to HSSA through our legal counsel on Sept. 18, 2023, outlining the need for a detailed accounting of the outcome for each of the 318 animals by Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. To view our formal letter, click here.

We have since received a response from HSSA’s attorneys, but regrettably, that response did not meet our expectations in terms of providing the necessary information regarding the outcomes of the small animals in question.

At this juncture, we are exploring further actions to ensure transparency and accountability. We will be consulting with our legal counsel to discuss our next steps, and one of the options on the table is initiating litigation to address the unresolved issues.

In parallel, we are actively considering the engagement of a private investigator to help shed light on the outcomes of our animals.

We appreciate the continued support of our community and will keep you informed as developments unfold.

Update as of September 20, 2023

San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) has an update regarding the transport of 318 small animals from our shelter on August 7, 2023, to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA).

Through our legal counsel, SDHS sent a formal request to HSSA on Sept. 18, 2023, outlining the need for full transparency of the outcome for each of the 318 animals by Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.

We are demanding the following:

Full Accountability: We request an accounting of all animals transferred out of the care of HSSA to an unidentified rescue, including the animals that were ultimately transferred back to HSSA. This accounting must include the names and contact information for the rescue group(s) and associated individuals that received custody or possession of any of the animals, as well as an identification of the outcome of every animal with supporting documentation.
End of Baseless Allegations: HSSA must cease making unsubstantiated claims that the transfer aimed to alleviate the suffering of the animals in our care and that they were at risk of euthanasia. There is no basis for these claims that have been made to HSSA staff, volunteers, Board of Directors and the public. To the contrary, since 2015, SDHS has ensured that no healthy or treatable shelter animal in San Diego County is at risk of euthanasia.

When the 318 pets were transferred to HSSA, it was with the clear understanding that HSSA would work through their shelter and rescue community for the safe, permanent placement of these animals. SDHS relied on this understanding when agreeing to facilitate the transfer. At no point was SDHS alerted to HSSA’s intent to relinquish the animals to a single, unaccredited, anonymous organization.

The welfare of these animals remains our primary concern and we are determined to having full transparency regarding the 318 animals in question. We appreciate the ongoing support of our community and will provide further updates as the situation unfolds.

Update as of September 14, 2023

San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) would like to provide an update regarding the transport of 318 small animals from our shelter on August 7, 2023, to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA). We formally requested that HSSA share information about the outcomes of 250 of the 318 small animals by Friday, September 8, 2023. Regrettably, we have not received a satisfactory accounting of the status of these animals and our inquiry remains open with HSSA.

We are currently:

1. Requesting Additional Transparency and Accountability:

We continue to implore HSSA for a comprehensive accounting of the 250 animals that were not returned to HSSA. This information must address specific outcomes for these animals with accompanying documentation verifying whether they have been adopted into new homes, placed in schools, transferred back to the shelter, received any other placement, or are still with the rescue.

2. Exploring Legal Options:

We are actively exploring our legal options in response to HSSA's lack of transparency.

We also want to address some misinformation that has been communicated related to this transfer:

Lack of Advance Knowledge:

We want to emphasize that San Diego Humane Society was not informed that all of the animals transported to HSSA would be transferred to one anonymous private rescue.
We were informed that HSSA had the capacity to accommodate this volume of small pets because they had a shortage of small pets in their community and were collaborating with their rescue community and local schools to secure placements for these animals.

No Risk of Euthanasia:

Our animals were never at risk of euthanasia as no healthy or treatable animals are in danger of that outcome at San Diego Humane Society.
San Diego Humane Society proudly upholds a commitment to zero euthanasia of healthy and treatable shelter animals as we have since 2015. We unequivocally stand by this promise to our community.

Safe Transport of the Animals:

The animals were transported to Arizona in a temperature-controlled truck and all arrived in Tucson in good condition.
Best practices in transporting small animals were adhered to at all times. As a matter of fact, SDHS is one of the authors of national best practices in shelter animal transport.
San Diego Humane Society’s Chief Operating Officer personally transported the animals and oversaw the entire transfer.

We remain committed to advocating for transparency from HSSA and will continue to provide updates on any developments or information we receive regarding the status of the transferred animals.

Update as of September 8, 2023

San Diego Humane Society would like to address concerns that have developed about the transport of 318 small animals from our shelter on Aug. 7, 2023, to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA). We share the questions and concerns of many in the rescue community about the outcome of the 250 small pets who remain unaccounted for, and we are pursuing every avenue available to get that information, including exploring legal options.

In the meantime, we want to provide an update on what we have requested of HSSA:

  • An accounting for all 318 of the animals that were sent to rescue, including the 68 animals brought back to HSSA. This information must address specific outcomes for these animals with backup documentation to indicate if they have been adopted into new homes, placed in schools, transferred back to the shelter, received any other placement, or are still with the rescue.

• An answer to the question we all are asking — how could a “small family run” rescue group do what virtually no other shelter or rescue group would be able to do: adopt out 250 small animals in a matter of weeks?

Additionally, we have offered to retrieve all of the animals who are currently with HSSA or who may be with the rescue group and bring them back to San Diego Humane Society.

We understand the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with our community, supporters, staff and volunteers. We will continue to provide updates on any developments or information we receive about the status of the transferred animals. We owe answers to these questions to our staff, volunteers and community, and most of all to the animals who were transferred to HSSA.   

Update as of August 30, 2023

Some members of the public have expressed questions regarding our recent partnership to relocate small pets from San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA). We would like to provide clarification and reassurance that the transport was a success and we have been informed that all of the animals involved are safe and thriving.

On Monday, Aug. 7, SDHS transported 318 small pets — including guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and rabbits — to HSSA. This was the largest single transport in SDHS history. Because SDHS shelters have been over capacity for more than eight months, we were extremely grateful for HSSA’s assistance to help us find homes for so many animals. At the same time, SDHS took in a dog from HSSA who needed behavior intervention and is now available for adoption at our San Diego Campus.

Transferring such a large number of animals is no small undertaking, and our organizations spent weeks working together to coordinate the logistics. The animals were safely loaded into an air-conditioned truck in San Diego, and Fear Free methods were employed throughout the transport to keep the animals calm and safe. All 318 pets arrived safely in Tucson, where HSSA took custody of the animals and immediately transported them to a local private rescue.

HSSA has confirmed that all of the animals survived the journey and arrived at the rescue safely, and that many have already been adopted into new homes. They shared that 317 of the animals were placed with the local private rescue, while 1 rabbit was returned to HSSA for care due to ongoing ophthalmologic medical needs.

While we shared information about the transport with local media in San Diego, and on our social media pages, HSSA made an intentional decision not to share this information publicly. In the past, publicity around large-scale intake resulted in a significant increase in relinquishments to HSSA, and they shared that it was essential to avoid a surge in intake when shelters are already over capacity.

Additionally, HSSA shared that the local private rescue that took in the small pets specifically requested to remain anonymous. HSSA confirms that it is an organization with which they have had a long-standing history of successful partnership. If HSSA is given permission by the rescue to share additional information, they will provide more detail. HSSA shared that the local private rescue has played an essential role in giving hundreds of animals a second chance, and in the spirit of good partnership they are committed to respecting the rescue’s wishes.

We sincerely appreciate the compassion shown by those who have inquired about the animals’ well-being. We can assure our community that compassion for animals is our top priority, and that HSSA shares a deep and long-standing commitment to act in the best interests of the homeless pets who need us. We are very grateful to HSSA, a 79-year-old organization which has placed more than 1 million animals into new homes, for their long-standing partnership with SDHS. They generously came to our aid when we put out a call for assistance. This transport was coordinated to give hundreds of hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and rats a second chance, and we are grateful to have had this opportunity to work together for their benefit.

We will continue to update this page if we receive additional information.

Link to photos and video provided to media on Aug. 7, 2023.
Link to news story on ABC 10 News on Aug. 31, 2023.
Link to Facebook update posted by the Humane Society of Southern Arizona on Aug. 31.