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10/30/23 - Newest update on the San Diego Humane Society website contradicts what they stated in their initial legal response dated 9/18/23 - “That at no point was SDHS alerted to HSSA’s intent to relinquish the animals to a single, unaccredited, anonymous Organization.”

SDHS leaders have previously declared in the news that if SDHS had known all the animals were going to one rescue, they would never have sent them. However, the legal letter from HSSA lawyers to SDHS on 9/25/23 confirms that SDHS was well aware of HSSA working with one proclaimed rescue.
On 10/30/2023 that story now changes to - SDHS Did know where the animals were going.

SDHS further states on 10/30/23 that they understood the animals would be cared for by HSSA and adopted into homes or placed with local schools and trusted, reputable rescue partners when in fact Jessica Des Lauriers witnessed 323 transferred animals being unloaded from the SDHS truck and loaded directly on vans instead of going into the HSSA facility. 

On 8/11/23, a week after the transfer, Jessica Des Lauriers sent an email to staff stating all of the animals arrived safe and that more than half were already adopted or placed with local schools.  This was a blatant lie without credible evidence by either shelter.

On 9/1/2023 Gary Weitzman sent an email to staff stating 318 animals were immediately placed with a local private rescue, which HSSA had been partnering for more than then 10 years and that 245 were adopted, 72 available and 1 rabbit returned for medical care.  Gary Weitzman did not have proof or validation this report was factual. 

9/30/2023  - Sadly it took the investigation of animal advocates and rescues to find out the truth that 323 animals were betrayed by both shelters and sent to a reptile breeder who sold small pets for live and frozen food.  Reported in the news by Danyella Khmara 

 Approx: Time Events on August 7th 2023
- SDHS started loading the animals at 5:30 am

- Arrived at HSSA around 5:00 pm

- Unloaded the animals into transport truck and/or vans and Jessica left to go to hotel before 6:00 pm after claiming to personally check the welfare of 323 animals on the truck.  However, Jessica was not aware there were mice on the transport.

- Christian Gonzalez stated the transport truck broke down in the parking lot and he had to move 323 animals into 3 vans and they arrived to Phoenix at midnight.  Christian did not get back to HSSA until 2am.

10/30/2023 - SDHS claims they used “fear free methods” when the animals were transferred however; all animals were subject to the following:
323 small animals stacked like sardines in a dark refrigerated truck for 12 hours and cramped in carriers for a total of approx: 18 ½ hours
Carriers that took them on their death ride.

The unethical treatment of small prey animals being transferred for long hours while being subjected to high heat and cool temperatures was a highly stressful situation.

How did 323 small prey animals with high stress levels even survive this trip? There is no credible proof how many did.  
How did 76 rabbits that can go into GI Stasis from stress alone or from lack of food to keep their guts moving survive this trip?  There is no credible proof how many did.
In one day a 5-pound rabbit drinks as much water as a 24-pound dog and can dehydrate in 24 hours without water.
In the event many survived it was only to be taken to more untrusting humans to be fed alive to reptiles, killed and frozen for snake food, sold for both or kept as breeders for the same.

Shamefully
SDHS sent a pregnant rabbit named Oreo; she aborted her babies during this stressful situation.  Oreo was one of the lucky 4 that were returned and is now safe in rescue
SDHS sent a Guinea Pig with head tilt who died after returned to HSSA
SDHS sent a Guinea Pig with an eye issue who is now safe in rescue.
SDHS sent a mother Guinea pig and her 3-4 day old babies; the babies are among the missing
SDHS sent 6 unsexed baby bunnies who are all missing

76 rabbits were sent and 72 are missing
24 rats all missing
9 hamsters 2 missing
7 Mice accounted for
207 Guinea Pigs sent and 162 missing

There has been no proof of life for the 260 missing animals by either shelter and no action by either shelter who had the authority early on to retrieve the missing animals when there was chance of survival.  

SDHS takes no responsibility for their overall irresponsible actions of unethically transferring 323 small animals and failing to vet the small said “rescue” or Colten Jones who in fact, is not a rescue of pet domestic animals but instead a breeder of Pythons who sells live and frozen small pets as feeder animals. 

We the petitioners call on HSSA and SDHS to release the email correspondence that is being hidden and denied in public records request.  

COO Jessica Des Lauriers at San Diego Humane Society arranged the transport with CEO Gary Weitzman to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona with Christian Gonzalez and Steve Farley.

References
October 25, 2023 HSSA meaningless/pointless Update

Note: Shame on both shelters for also participating in classroom pets.
Sending animals to schools is not adopting out animals, it is sending them to a life in a cage where many end up living in filth, injured from being dropped, sick and die.  This is just one sad story of what happens to classroom pets.

SDHS
Jessica Des Lauriers –b Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Gary Weitzman- CEO
Brian Daugherty - Executive Vice President

HSSA
Steve Farley – Former CEO
Christian Gonzales – Former CPO
Robert Garcia – BOD 

Please continue to share the original petition