Humane societies probe transfer of 250 small animals that may have later been fed to reptiles

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Two humane societies are investigating the transfer of about 250 small animals from California to Arizona that may have ended up being fed to reptiles. Tucson TV station KVOA began looking into the animals’ whereabouts in September, a month after 300 small animals were transferred from the overcrowded San Diego Humane Society to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in Tucson. The Arizona Republic reported that animals ultimately went to a man who ran a reptile breeding company that included selling both live and frozen animals for reptile feed. The newspaper says the man ended up returning 62 of the animals to the Tucson-based humane society, leaving 250 rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and mice to an unknown fate.