As questions mount over a secretive settlement and troubling animal welfare practices, advocates demand transparency from HSSA and its powerful allies.
Yes, Kelly has advanced analytical education paired with genuine dedication and compassion for animals. Her talents and dedication have added greatly to momentum exposing national animal welfare orgs shameless profiteering in exploiting animals and good hearted people. Ed's articulate well researched articles are furthering this momentum!
HSSA is not doing a good job to rebuild trust. I do want to comment on a minor point in the article: Shelter Animals Count (SAC). I'm a retired career data scientist. SAC does a great job of collecting as much data as they can, and they are careful in their statistical reporting. Any mis-use (intentional or unintentional) of their statistics is entirely out of their control. Keep in mind that SAC doesn't generate raw data. They don't have the resources for that. They collect and aggregate data reported by the shelters. We need to press the shelters (with legislation, if needed) to be accurate and transparent.
MM, you raise an important point about SAC. I agree that SAC itself is not responsible for how its data is used or misused, and their efforts to collect and standardize information are commendable.
However, as you noted, the accuracy and transparency of the raw data reported by shelters are critical. This is where the "closed loop" of influence becomes concerning. SAC, funded by Maddie’s Fund, provides aggregated data that is often cited by organizations like Best Friends to promote specific policies, such as community cat programs and managed intake policies, while hiding "ghost animals". Without independent oversight or accountability mechanisms to verify the accuracy of shelter-reported data, this system risks reinforcing narratives that may not fully reflect on-the-ground realities.
Your suggestion to press for greater accuracy and transparency at the shelter level—potentially through legislation—is a valuable one. Ensuring that shelters report reliable data would not only strengthen SAC’s work but also enhance trust in the policies and programs shaped by this information. At this point, I fear that trust is eroding. Thank you again for contributing to this important discussion!
Someone on Nextdoor posted photos of a great horned owl carrying a full grown tabby cat. The photos were from the Tecolote Park trail cameras. Tecolote Park is one trolley stop away from the San Diego Humane Society. They release "community cats" near the SDHS shelter. Volunteers discovered the cat colony many years ago. I suppose owls have to eat, but a humane euthanasia or time in the shelter to find an indoor home would be a better policy than dumping the cats outdoors. SDHS and HSSA are both rotten to the core.
We have a serious problem with honesty, compassion, accountability and common sense with these Humane Society CEO’s and their bloated salaries. Follow the money. Thank you Kelly for never giving up and Ed for exposing this! ❤️
Bet this was so much cheaper to pay off Farley in Arizona than Weizman in San Diego! Let him take the fall.
Does it seem that San Diego Humane Society has been able to somehow minimize and bury their involvement in the deadly transport ? Why YES it does.
Those 300 + small critters, some thriving in their very own foster homes, were ripped from their loving foster homes and stacked in hot box to drive to Arizona from San Diego to their deaths. WHY?
Soon after the first round of lies were exposed- we watched as SD Humane’s CEO, Gary Weitzman as he was interviewed on the local news.
A big dramatic act, feigning “outrage” and how WE WERE GOING TO GET THE BOTTOM OF THIS! Then came the second pack of lies.
And as expected, in usual wonder boy Weitzman fashion- the transparency we were hoping for - was non existent. SD Humane actually REFUSED REQUESTS to release records!! Said they didn’t “have” too.
Many of us are still wondering what happened to that batch of kittens that Weitzman shipped to Oregon Humane after this small animal tragedy.
Where did they go? ZERO transparency. We waited to see them show up on Oregon Humane’s website for adoption.
Begs the question: Why is SDHS shipping animals at all? Weitzman signed CONTRACTS with nearly a dozen cities in San Diego County to care for our lost and abandoned animals. Operate adoption centers. “Shipping animals” seems outside of those contract agreements to me.
Are they raising money on the publicity of their “great work”?
SD Humane just lost a major lawsuit - found guilty for dumping cats and kittens on the streets to die. AND closing the cat and kitten adoption centers a few years ago. Now shipping kittens? WHY?
And Oregon Humane in Portland is not without its issues. Big money, CEO Sharon Harmon, a $50,000 a month CEO (according to a google search yesterday- because I couldn’t believe it) has come under fire for her acceptance of transports.
Unpack this: SDHS shipped kittens to a CEO who purchased her own dog, RENN from a breeder.
Harmon actually bragged on social media and told a Willamette Week reporter: “ I didn’t want to have to fill out an 8 page application from a rescue”
“I did nothing wrong, and I did NOT displace a shelter dog”. “ I combed shelters for a YEAR looking for a dog”. (10/2017)
Really Ms Harmon? While going to work at a shelter everyday and euthanizing dogs.
Ms Harmon’s also inadvertently shared her LOW opinion of Portland’s non profit, struggling, volunteer rescue organizations - doing their very best to find good FOREVER homes from her shelter? Bet none of those ”non profits”rescues pay their CEO’s $50,000 a month! Because rescues actually do this work because they LOVE and care for animals in need.
OBVIOUSLY NOT A REQUIREMENT TO HEAD UP ANY OF THESE HUMANE SOCIETY CEO JOBS! Yes, I was yelling 🙀
Harmon been at the helm for over 2 decades now.
We heard that Oregon Humane in Portland has been publicly accused of euthanizing animals they accepted from disaster transports after raising money off them.
I for one would like to know how all these Humane Societies are interconnected. And how CEO Kitty Block HSUS is involved.
Humane Societies across the country seem like poorly run Subway franchises, who are expert in hiding their misdeeds. Renegade, overpaid, greedy sociopaths- and animals are paying the ultimate price. Overflowing with donations and taxpayer $$$.
Further, we know these incompetent, dishonest shelter directors just move from one shelter to another shelter - invincible. The money is too good to resist. The authority and ultimate unchecked power over an entire organization - to run as they see fit. Free to violate any animal protection laws with their “policies” .
Farley will no doubt be hired again to run a shelter somewhere. Not unlike the Catholic Priests- who moved from parish to parish… It’s despicable. And it needs to stop.
Humane Society Southern Arizona in collaboration with SDHS were confident they could simply disappear 323 small animals as animals have been covertly disposed of on other occasions (transports from Cochise County). The executives of both HS did not count on media follow-up inquiries from a highly publicized transport departure in San Diego for PR and fundraising purposes AND advocates following up on the outcomes of beloved fosters and shelter animals.
There is NO WAY ex-CEO Steve Farley didn't know the animals were sent to Colton Jones reptile food. NO WAY. HSSA had NO ability to accommodate a large group of small animals and there are no small animal rescues with any capacity in Tucson and other obvious evidence.
Obviously Farley is being paid-off to go away and not expose corrupt Board of Directors, SDHS Gary Weitzman and executive leadership. Covert disposal of animals is a method how corrupt animal welfare orgs disguise the failure of their agenda to deprioritize spay-neuter and commercial breeding restrictions.
As California's shelter reform movement exposes, a coalition of national animal welfare orgs and Maddie's Fund abandoned volume/accessible spay-neuter programs for a business model based on pet overpopulation.
For organizations that have amassed billions, the absence of lobbying for commercial breeding restrictions has further amplified over-population. They have built a commercial-industrial complex around pet overpopulation.
Distressed homeless pets are fundraising gold as the infamous ASPCA advertisements confirm, depicting shivering, suffering mill dogs, raising approx 2 billion since introduction..
A strategy focused on expanding rescues and foster programs fuels the big-box pet merchandise stores in partnership.
Best Friends goal of nationwide "No Kill" by 2025 translates to domination of shelter data. Who controls the data controls the narrative and can dictate policy. With Maddies Fund various software services introductions, a data monopoly that can be used to capture public funds, animal welfare policy and shelter services is a primary goal. Maddie's Fund originator Duffield is a software billionaire (14 billion) so applying this business model to national shelter data control.
The call for transparency is growing louder. What are the shelter agreements with Best Friends and Maddies Fund? Where is the documentation for spay-neuter claims? What were the compensations to Outcomes Consulting--- a messenger for the strategy of "community animals" "managed intake" etc.
Thank you Ed and Kelly for publishing this glaring example of needed change.
Kelly Paolisso is a hero doing impactful work in animal welfare!
Yes, Kelly has advanced analytical education paired with genuine dedication and compassion for animals. Her talents and dedication have added greatly to momentum exposing national animal welfare orgs shameless profiteering in exploiting animals and good hearted people. Ed's articulate well researched articles are furthering this momentum!
HSSA is not doing a good job to rebuild trust. I do want to comment on a minor point in the article: Shelter Animals Count (SAC). I'm a retired career data scientist. SAC does a great job of collecting as much data as they can, and they are careful in their statistical reporting. Any mis-use (intentional or unintentional) of their statistics is entirely out of their control. Keep in mind that SAC doesn't generate raw data. They don't have the resources for that. They collect and aggregate data reported by the shelters. We need to press the shelters (with legislation, if needed) to be accurate and transparent.
MM, you raise an important point about SAC. I agree that SAC itself is not responsible for how its data is used or misused, and their efforts to collect and standardize information are commendable.
However, as you noted, the accuracy and transparency of the raw data reported by shelters are critical. This is where the "closed loop" of influence becomes concerning. SAC, funded by Maddie’s Fund, provides aggregated data that is often cited by organizations like Best Friends to promote specific policies, such as community cat programs and managed intake policies, while hiding "ghost animals". Without independent oversight or accountability mechanisms to verify the accuracy of shelter-reported data, this system risks reinforcing narratives that may not fully reflect on-the-ground realities.
Your suggestion to press for greater accuracy and transparency at the shelter level—potentially through legislation—is a valuable one. Ensuring that shelters report reliable data would not only strengthen SAC’s work but also enhance trust in the policies and programs shaped by this information. At this point, I fear that trust is eroding. Thank you again for contributing to this important discussion!
Someone on Nextdoor posted photos of a great horned owl carrying a full grown tabby cat. The photos were from the Tecolote Park trail cameras. Tecolote Park is one trolley stop away from the San Diego Humane Society. They release "community cats" near the SDHS shelter. Volunteers discovered the cat colony many years ago. I suppose owls have to eat, but a humane euthanasia or time in the shelter to find an indoor home would be a better policy than dumping the cats outdoors. SDHS and HSSA are both rotten to the core.
Exactly right, Suzanne!
Whistle blowers are afraid to come out and the good rescues are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation. It’s like the mafia.
Aimee, I think you may be especially interested in Saturday's post... ;-)
We have a serious problem with honesty, compassion, accountability and common sense with these Humane Society CEO’s and their bloated salaries. Follow the money. Thank you Kelly for never giving up and Ed for exposing this! ❤️
Bet this was so much cheaper to pay off Farley in Arizona than Weizman in San Diego! Let him take the fall.
Does it seem that San Diego Humane Society has been able to somehow minimize and bury their involvement in the deadly transport ? Why YES it does.
Those 300 + small critters, some thriving in their very own foster homes, were ripped from their loving foster homes and stacked in hot box to drive to Arizona from San Diego to their deaths. WHY?
Soon after the first round of lies were exposed- we watched as SD Humane’s CEO, Gary Weitzman as he was interviewed on the local news.
A big dramatic act, feigning “outrage” and how WE WERE GOING TO GET THE BOTTOM OF THIS! Then came the second pack of lies.
And as expected, in usual wonder boy Weitzman fashion- the transparency we were hoping for - was non existent. SD Humane actually REFUSED REQUESTS to release records!! Said they didn’t “have” too.
Many of us are still wondering what happened to that batch of kittens that Weitzman shipped to Oregon Humane after this small animal tragedy.
Where did they go? ZERO transparency. We waited to see them show up on Oregon Humane’s website for adoption.
Begs the question: Why is SDHS shipping animals at all? Weitzman signed CONTRACTS with nearly a dozen cities in San Diego County to care for our lost and abandoned animals. Operate adoption centers. “Shipping animals” seems outside of those contract agreements to me.
Are they raising money on the publicity of their “great work”?
SD Humane just lost a major lawsuit - found guilty for dumping cats and kittens on the streets to die. AND closing the cat and kitten adoption centers a few years ago. Now shipping kittens? WHY?
And Oregon Humane in Portland is not without its issues. Big money, CEO Sharon Harmon, a $50,000 a month CEO (according to a google search yesterday- because I couldn’t believe it) has come under fire for her acceptance of transports.
Unpack this: SDHS shipped kittens to a CEO who purchased her own dog, RENN from a breeder.
Harmon actually bragged on social media and told a Willamette Week reporter: “ I didn’t want to have to fill out an 8 page application from a rescue”
“I did nothing wrong, and I did NOT displace a shelter dog”. “ I combed shelters for a YEAR looking for a dog”. (10/2017)
Really Ms Harmon? While going to work at a shelter everyday and euthanizing dogs.
Ms Harmon’s also inadvertently shared her LOW opinion of Portland’s non profit, struggling, volunteer rescue organizations - doing their very best to find good FOREVER homes from her shelter? Bet none of those ”non profits”rescues pay their CEO’s $50,000 a month! Because rescues actually do this work because they LOVE and care for animals in need.
OBVIOUSLY NOT A REQUIREMENT TO HEAD UP ANY OF THESE HUMANE SOCIETY CEO JOBS! Yes, I was yelling 🙀
Harmon been at the helm for over 2 decades now.
We heard that Oregon Humane in Portland has been publicly accused of euthanizing animals they accepted from disaster transports after raising money off them.
I for one would like to know how all these Humane Societies are interconnected. And how CEO Kitty Block HSUS is involved.
Humane Societies across the country seem like poorly run Subway franchises, who are expert in hiding their misdeeds. Renegade, overpaid, greedy sociopaths- and animals are paying the ultimate price. Overflowing with donations and taxpayer $$$.
Further, we know these incompetent, dishonest shelter directors just move from one shelter to another shelter - invincible. The money is too good to resist. The authority and ultimate unchecked power over an entire organization - to run as they see fit. Free to violate any animal protection laws with their “policies” .
Farley will no doubt be hired again to run a shelter somewhere. Not unlike the Catholic Priests- who moved from parish to parish… It’s despicable. And it needs to stop.
Humane Society Southern Arizona in collaboration with SDHS were confident they could simply disappear 323 small animals as animals have been covertly disposed of on other occasions (transports from Cochise County). The executives of both HS did not count on media follow-up inquiries from a highly publicized transport departure in San Diego for PR and fundraising purposes AND advocates following up on the outcomes of beloved fosters and shelter animals.
There is NO WAY ex-CEO Steve Farley didn't know the animals were sent to Colton Jones reptile food. NO WAY. HSSA had NO ability to accommodate a large group of small animals and there are no small animal rescues with any capacity in Tucson and other obvious evidence.
Obviously Farley is being paid-off to go away and not expose corrupt Board of Directors, SDHS Gary Weitzman and executive leadership. Covert disposal of animals is a method how corrupt animal welfare orgs disguise the failure of their agenda to deprioritize spay-neuter and commercial breeding restrictions.
As California's shelter reform movement exposes, a coalition of national animal welfare orgs and Maddie's Fund abandoned volume/accessible spay-neuter programs for a business model based on pet overpopulation.
For organizations that have amassed billions, the absence of lobbying for commercial breeding restrictions has further amplified over-population. They have built a commercial-industrial complex around pet overpopulation.
Distressed homeless pets are fundraising gold as the infamous ASPCA advertisements confirm, depicting shivering, suffering mill dogs, raising approx 2 billion since introduction..
A strategy focused on expanding rescues and foster programs fuels the big-box pet merchandise stores in partnership.
Best Friends goal of nationwide "No Kill" by 2025 translates to domination of shelter data. Who controls the data controls the narrative and can dictate policy. With Maddies Fund various software services introductions, a data monopoly that can be used to capture public funds, animal welfare policy and shelter services is a primary goal. Maddie's Fund originator Duffield is a software billionaire (14 billion) so applying this business model to national shelter data control.
The call for transparency is growing louder. What are the shelter agreements with Best Friends and Maddies Fund? Where is the documentation for spay-neuter claims? What were the compensations to Outcomes Consulting--- a messenger for the strategy of "community animals" "managed intake" etc.
Thank you Ed and Kelly for publishing this glaring example of needed change.