SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Humane Society of Southern Arizona's Board said it has fired its CEO in wake of the controversy surrounding a shipment of 318 small animals from San Diego, and the animal shelter also said the man who initially received the animals from HSSA may be related to a reptile farm owner.
HSSA's board made the announcement during a Thursday morning press conference just six days after it suspended CEO Steve Farley and COO Christian Gonzalez.
A reporter directly asked the board spokesperson about the fate of the animals, and if the board has any reason to believe they were handed off to an organization that would use them as food.
"We don't have information to verify that at this point. Our investigation continues. We are going to do everything possible to get as much information as we can," the board spokesperson said. "We will continue to make contact with the gentleman involved and try to get everything that we can, and we will take all means within our power to accomplish that."
ABC 10News first looked into the issue on Aug. 31, when concerned animal lovers pointed out the guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters and rats the San Diego Humane Society had sent to Tucson weren't publicly put up for adoption.
RELATED: San Diego Humane Society could file lawsuit over missing animals
According to the board, CEO Farley told them on Aug. 31 the animals were successfully transferred to a private, family group run by an individual. Farley also told the board they had worked with this man before on two other small animal transfers.
The HSSA Board said on Sept. 1 an HSSA employee expressed concerns about the transfer, and members of the public were also sounding the alarm about the animals' health and safety. The board said this is when it started to investigate the situation and dug for more details.
Gonzalez contacted the man for a status update on the animals, and he was told 254 of the animals had been placed, but there were no records of the adoptions.
The board said by Sept. 2, the man returned 64 of the animals to HSSA, of which they say all but three have gone to other rescues or were adopted. Rescue groups from San Diego collected 28 guinea pigs, and ABC 10News is awaiting an update on their status.
Around that time, the board said it learned the man was simply an individual and not affiliated with any licensed rescue organizations. He had facilitated animal adoptions through personal relationships, including at his church and in the Maricopa County community.
"The discrepancies in what the board had been told continued to mount," the board spokesperson said.
RELATED: Nearly two dozen guinea pigs returned to San Diego from Arizona as Humane Society dispute continues
On Sept. 26, the board hired a third party to formally investigate what transpired since Aug. 7, the day SDHS shipped the animals to Tucson.
By Sept. 29, the board said it learned from the media that the owner of the Fertile Turtle, a reptile farm, is "believed to be" the brother of the man who received the small animals from HSSA.
Later that day, an emergency board meeting was called, and HSSA's CEO and COO were suspended.
"After reviewing the report and details and discrepancies in what was told to the board about the situation, the board took corrective action and terminated the employment of the CEO and accepted the resignation of the COO," the board spokesperson announced at the press conference. "We did so due to their terribly negligent actions against the mission of the Humane Society and their failure to follow protocols, among other reasons."
The board emphasized that the San Diego Humane Society should not receive blame for the situation.
"Regarding the San Diego Humane Society — they asked us for help in finding animals a permanent home. As our sister organization whose core mission and values align with our own, we wanted to help them," the spokesperson said. "They are not responsible for what happened due to the poor judgment and inappropriate actions of the Humane Society's former leadership, which have threatened the ongoing operations of our organization."
HSSA's board is searching for an interim CEO, and will announce its selection soon. The board will also conduct an audit and is welcoming stakeholder input to regain the public's trust.
"Rest assured that we will hire new, interim and permanent leaders who will establish better protocols to make sure that all animals rescued and placed by the Humane Society will be placed in safe environments," the spokesperson said.
ABC 10News spoke with the San Diego Human Society following the Arizona Board’s announcement on Thursday.
“When we heard this press conference today… I think we all collectively burst into tears” said Gary Weitzman, President, San Diego Humane Society.
They too have faced major backlash about the animals’ disappearance, but have maintained they thought the animals were going to be put in safe homes in Arizona.
“We have been so morally devastated by what has happened. We are trying to heal from that and move forward,” said Weitzman.
Weitzman says they don’t plan to seek legal action against Southern Arizona’s Humane Society now that an investigation is underway and action has been taken.
Both Humane Societies say they’re committed to repairing trust with the community.
“Never in my 30 years of working in animal welfare have I ever seen this level of trust broken…and I hope never to again,” added Weitzman.
CONTINUING COVERAGE:
- Leaders of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona suspended while investigation underway into missing pets
- San Diego Humane Society could file lawsuit over missing animals
- SD Humane Society wants answers from Arizona as 318 small animals still unaccounted for
- Nearly two dozen guinea pigs returned to San Diego from Arizona as Humane Society dispute continues
- San Diego Humane Society addresses missing animals in Q&A with volunteers
- Questions raised over location of animals transferred from San Diego to Tucson
- San Diego Humane Society transports 318 small animals to Arizona shelter
