Hundreds of small animals meant for adoption may have been frozen, fed to reptiles

[Homebody]

I've been thinking about this and this is how I think this whole thing went down. The CEO or COO of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) realized that he could free up capacity in his shelter and make a few bucks at the same time. If it was the CEO, the COO went along with it to keep his job. If it was the COO, he did it behind his boss's back. After he sold off the stock from his own shelter, he contacted San Diego to get more. San Diego was so happy to be rid of them that they didn't ask questions.

Unfortunately, for the HSSA plotter(s), San Diego held a big old media event announcing the transfer. Had to make sure their donors knew what a good job they're doing. So, when the animals never showed up in Arizona, people noticed and started asking questions. This pressure caused the HSSA board to get involved.

This wasn't a plot built to weather scrutiny. At first, the plotter(s) lied and said they sent the animals to a private shelter. When they couldn't produce any paperwork supporting this, the board demanded they get the animals back. The Jones brothers then returned the 62 animals they hadn't managed to euthanize. This satisfied no one. A little more digging and it became clear exactly what had happened, and the CEO and COO lost their jobs.

I'm sure the Jones brothers knew what they were doing wasn't above board, but I think HSSA is the bad guy here. The Jones brothers were struggling to get their business off the ground. They just couldn't say no to a cheap feeder supply. They also may have told themselves that it was a victimless crime. They were only making use of animals no one else wanted. The HSSA plotter(s) on the other hand were entrusted with finding homes for these animals and instead sold them as food. Fearing a lawsuit, the HSSA board continues to deny culpability. Their denials ring hollow though, and I'm sure that, if there is legal action, the truth will come out and they'll be forced to pay.