ع
Investigators have unearthed the remains of 117 dogs many killed by gunshot wounds at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna California the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday. The discovery on the 50-acre property about 288 miles north of San Francisco included additional skulls bones and roughly 600 collars as part of a probe that has revealed more than 700 animals unaccounted for since the start of 2025 according to authorities. The findings dramatically expanded an investigation into alleged animal cruelty and fraud at the self-described no-kill facility which had taken in around 900 animals but recorded only 116 adoptions.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said the 117 intact remains were located in two excavated field areas along with 21 skulls hundreds of other bones and six loose microchips that analysts are now reviewing for identification. Seventy of the bodies were X-rayed at the scene by USDA veterinarians and forensic specialists revealing bullet fragments in many cases with preliminary examinations indicating gunshot wounds as the cause of death for a large portion of the animals. Additional decomposed remains were found in a northern section of the same field and investigators identified a barn on the property where they believe the dogs were likely killed the sheriff’s office reported.
Sheriff William Honsal urged patience from the public as the complex investigation continues with substantial evidence still requiring processing more than two months after it began. The probe was launched in April following credible information about felony animal abuse cruelty fraud and conspiracy at the sanctuary according to the sheriff’s office. A neighbor had entered the property without permission that month and uncovered what appeared to be buried dogs prompting the initial inquiry local outlets including KRCR-TV reported.
Shannon Miranda the sanctuary owner and operator is not facing criminal charges at this stage. In a statement Miranda described his facility as a no-kill rescue that only euthanises animals in rare circumstances such as terminal conditions or when they pose serious ongoing danger to people or other animals rather than simply to make space. He added that media coverage and online commentary have presented an incomplete and in some cases inaccurate picture of the facility while noting that other shelters often send harder-to-place animals to rescues like his.
ABC7 News reported that several Bay Area shelters including those in Napa County and Berkeley had transferred dogs to Miranda’s Rescue but later retrieved them after the investigation raised concerns. Court documents obtained by the station from the April search detailed at least eight dogs found buried on the property some with bullet holes in their heads. The affidavit suggested investigators believed at least one Oakland dog may have been killed to free space for additional paid intakes though these remain unproven allegations at this point.
The New York Times and other outlets noted that the scale of the unaccounted animals and the condition of the recovered remains have drawn attention to oversight challenges in the animal rescue sector. The sheriff’s office has emphasized that the case will be submitted to prosecutors for review and consideration of charges if sufficient evidence supports violations of animal cruelty fraud or related laws. Further excavation and forensic analysis are continuing at the Fortuna site.
