A Statement From the Arizona Humane Society Regarding the Transfer of 318 Small Animals from the San Diego Humane Society to Humane Society of Southern Arizona

The Arizona Humane Society (AHS) is an independent 501c3 and is not an affiliated entity of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) or the San Diego Humane Society. However, like many animal welfare groups, we share in the concern of the unknown status of the missing pets and hope more information is provided soon. We understand that the HSSA Board is conducting an ongoing investigation and terminated their CEO on October 5, 2023, and their COO has resigned. We acknowledge and appreciate their efforts to take accountability and to ensure very clear processes and procedures are established to prevent this from happening again.

The incident raises questions about the credibility and viability of future animal transfers between shelters and rescue groups that are already declining as the country is navigating through a pet overcapacity crisis. This egregious breach in commonly held lifesaving protocols jeopardizes the bonds of trust between organizations as well as the communities we serve.  It is the collective responsibility of the entire animal welfare community to not only ensure that animals receive the care and protection they deserve, but also that we do so in a way that engenders the public’s trust in our ability to do so. The animals and people we serve, as well as the credibility of the entire animal welfare community deserve nothing less.

We have reached out to the HSSA Board to offer support and share our best practices. AHS has an established and robust rescue partner program. Each partner must undergo an extensive application, including proof of their 501c3 status and credible veterinarian referrals. These credible partners play a key role in our life-saving efforts and we are grateful. The HSSA Board of Directors statement can be viewed on the HSSA website.