Desert Hot Springs, California, sent shelter dogs to Pittie Project PNW, a rescue group in Washington state, as part of a partnership. This week, authorities removed about 30 dogs from that rescue, and its founder now faces 30 counts of first-degree animal cruelty. The city has not said how many of its dogs went there, or where those dogs are today.

The Desert Hot Springs City Council can change that. City leaders should publish a full count of every dog that Desert Hot Springs Animal Care and Control transferred to Pittie Project PNW, and confirm where each one is now and how it is doing.

According to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, investigators saw dogs with open wounds, signs of worms, and fur stained and matted with waste. Many were badly underweight, with bones showing through. Investigators also learned that volunteers had already taken 13 other dogs off the property. The case is still open, and the charges have not been proven in court.

Residents had every reason to believe that dogs leaving the local shelter were headed somewhere safe. The city has promised to review how it picks rescue partners. “Animals entrusted to our care are part of our Desert Hot Springs family,” the city said in a statement reported by KESQ. A public accounting of every dog is the clearest way to show that promise is real.

Right now, no one knows whether any Desert Hot Springs dogs were among those found in poor condition. Each of those animals deserves to be found, checked by a veterinarian, and kept safe.

Sign the petition to ask the Desert Hot Springs City Council to account for every dog sent to Pittie Project PNW while those dogs can still be found.