Investigators from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office search the grounds of Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna, Calif. (Photo: AP)The remains of at least 117 dogs have been discovered buried on the grounds of a California animal sanctuary that presented itself to the public as a no-kill shelter, with many of the animals showing evidence of gunshot wounds, authorities said Friday opening one of the most disturbing animal cruelty investigations in the state in recent memory.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said searches at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary, a 50-acre facility in Fortuna, California, also turned up 21 canine skulls, hundreds of bones and more than 600 dog collars found near a barn where investigators believe the animals were killed, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Sheriff William Honsal did not hold back in describing what his team encountered. “It’s a horrific scene,” he said. No charges have been filed.
How Investigators Found the Remains
The investigation began in April after the sheriff’s office received what it described as credible information from animal advocates regarding allegations of felony animal abuse, cruelty, fraud and conspiracy.
One of the advocates owned land adjoining the shelter and had set up trail cameras to monitor activity near a suspected burial site. The advocates subsequently entered the shelter property and dug up dog remains themselves, according to a search affidavit.
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Investigators returned with ground-penetrating radar and located 117 intact remains in various stages of decomposition buried in an open field. They X-rayed 70 of the remains on site and found bullet fragments in many of them, with gunshot wounds appearing to be the cause of death in a significant number of cases, the AP reported.
Hundreds of dogs had been transferred to Miranda’s Rescue by private citizens and other animal shelters, the sheriff’s office said. The facility collects fees from those transfers as well as public donations, which it says fund food, veterinary care, medications and staffing.
“This investigation is just getting started,” Honsal said. “There is a tremendous amount of data to process, witnesses to interview, and evidence to examine.”
Founder Says Shelter Does Not Kill for Space
Shannon Miranda, who founded the sanctuary, pushed back against the findings in a statement posted to the shelter’s website on 18 June, saying media coverage had presented an incomplete and in some cases inaccurate picture of the organisation’s work.
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“At Miranda’s Rescue, our mission is to save as many animals as we safely can,” Miranda wrote, adding that the shelter’s decisions are always guided by compassion for animals alongside responsibility to protect families and the public.
Miranda acknowledged that euthanasia is sometimes carried out, but insisted it is reserved for animals suffering from terminal conditions or those posing a serious danger to people or other animals. “We do not euthanise animals simply to make space,” the statement said.
Authorities have not yet responded publicly to Miranda’s claims. The investigation is ongoing.
