The Humane Society of Southern Arizona's CEO Steve Farley and Chief Programs Officer Christian Gonzalez were suspended following the disappearance of 250 small pets transferred from San Diego, the San Diego Humane Society told NBC 7 on Sunday.
This suspension comes after the SDHS started prepping to take legal action over the hundreds of missing pets.
As of Sunday, the SDHS still has not confirmed where 250 of the 318 small pets it transferred to the HSSA Aug. 7 went, according to SDHS spokesperson Nina Thompson. The SDHS will meet to discuss their next steps.
“Where our animals went is the easiest question you can ask any organization — that’s why it’s so perplexing that we’re not getting the answers from this one,” exclaimed the San Diego animal shelter's president, Gary Weitzman.
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Missing Pets
San Diego's attorneys sent HSSA a demand letter seeking exact information about what happened to 250 rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, and hamsters. HSSA’s president Steve Farley has steadfastly said the animals were transferred to a private animal rescue. However, no one knows that rescue. Animal rights activists don’t know. San Diego doesn’t know.
“These [animals] are part of our family, and they’re missing,” Weitzman said. “We’re going to find out what happened to our animals. We have to. We can’t let it drop.”
HSSA’s attorneys responded to San Diego’s letter earlier this week. Their reply basically regurgitated Farley’s explanation and added, “The letter itself is yet another in a line of communications perpetuating what is nothing short of a media fiasco of San Diego Humane Society’s own making. The most unfortunate aspect of SDHS’s insistence upon advancing this narrative — beyond the negative light it casts on both organizations and the services humane societies provide to communities across the country — is that a loss of public trust ultimately jeopardizes the well-being of the animals that HSSA and SDHS exist to protect.”
“It’s not a respectful response in any shape or form,” Weitzman said. “It’s definitely becoming exhausting. We’re asking the same questions and not getting any of the answers that we’re asking for.”
Protestors in Tucson, Arizona, stood outside HSSA’s board chairman’s offices demanding answers Wednesday.
Weitzman said the San Diego Humane Society would immediately hire a private investigator and pursue legal action against HSSA.
“We’re devastated — these are our animals,” Weitzman concluded. “I can tell you one thing: No matter what, we’re not letting this drop.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said that the Humane Society of the U.S. was launching an investigation. This has not been confirmed. We regret the error. - Ed.
