SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Humane Society announced Monday that over 300 small pets were on their way to Arizona for a new chance to find a home.

The mass transport — the largest in SDHS history — comes after their shelters set a new record for animals within their care in July, the humane society said.

On July 7, SDHS reported there was a record 2,584 animals in their care. As of Monday, shelters were at 175% capacity for dogs and 176% capacity for cats.

The small pets headed to Arizona were made up of rabbits, Guinea pigs, hamsters and rats.

At 5:30 a.m., SDHS staff began loading the 318 animals into an air-conditioned truck, where they later began their trip to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in Tucson, SDHS spokesperson Nine Thompson said in a news release.

According to SDHS, the Arizona-based humane society has a low inventory of small animals available for adoption, giving the pets being sent over a better shot at finding a new home.

HSSAZ will also work with local rescue partners to place the pets into homes, the news release said.

Due to the high volume of animals currently at their facilities, SDHS is encouraging the public to to help by volunteering or becoming a foster.

After the small animals arrive at the Arizona facility, SDHS staff is planning to bring back a nine-year-old dog named Bulma back with them from HSSAZ, Thompson said. Bulma has been at the Arizona shelter since February and SDHS is hoping that specialized care at their Behavior Center will help her find a home.