318 Small Animals Transported From San Diego Shelters To Arizona

SAN DIEGO, CA — More than 300 small pets from San Diego Humane Society left Monday on their way to Arizona for a new chance at finding forever homes.

At 5:30 a.m., staff members started loading 318 rabbits, Guinea pigs, hamsters and rats into transport crates and then into an air-conditioned truck in the largest transport of animals in SDHS's history.

The move is intended to alleviate the overcrowded shelters -- with 2,584 animals in care last month. As of Monday, the shelters are at 175% capacity for dogs and 176% capacity for cats in its care.

SDHS staff departed the San Diego Campus at 8:30 a.m. and headed towards The Humane Society of Southern Arizona in Tucson. HSSAZ has a low inventory of small pets available for adoption and will also work with their local rescue partners to place the pets into homes, a statement from the Humane Society read.

SDHS staff is then planning to bring back a 9-year-old dog named Bulma from HSSAZ. Bulma came in as a stray and has been with them since February.

"We hope Bulma will benefit from our specialized care at San Diego Humane Society's Behavior Center, as we work to set her up for success while she waits for a new family," the statement read.

The Humane Society's shelters are at a critical capacity, so its leaders are asking the community to help by volunteering or fostering animals. To sign up, visit sdhumane.org/volunteer.

They also continue to encourage those who are facing the decision to give up their pets to use the resources at sdhumane.org/rehome and avoid bringing pets to the shelter.

City News Service