A large animal rescue in Humboldt County is under investigation after deputies dug up the bodies of 117 dogs on the property, and tragically, many of those dogs had been shot.
According to police reports, the case started with a tip back in April, when a neighbor went onto the land at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Shelter in Fortuna without permission.
While there, the neighbor dug up what they believed were buried dogs, so the person then reported to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office what they had found.
That tip led to a much bigger investigation, as reported by BBC.
Sheriff William Honsal said the shelter took in about 900 animals from the start of 2025 through the spring.
During that same time, only 116 animals were adopted out, which that means more than 700 animals were missing with no record of what happened to them.
As part of the investigation, detectives then began to search the 50-acre property, which sits about 288 miles north of San Francisco, and on Friday, June 26, 2026, the sheriff’s office shared what they found after digging in two open fields.
The bodies of 117 dogs were recovered, many in different stages of decay, while X-rays showed bullet fragments inside 70 of those animals. The sheriff’s office said gunshot wounds were the cause of death for a large number of them.
Investigators also found 21 dog skulls, hundreds of other bones, and roughly 600 dog collars.
In another spot near the remains, six loose microchips were dug up. Most of the dead dogs had microchips, and analysts are now pulling data from them as they aim to identify each animal and trace its history.
While moving through the property, deputies found a barn they now believe played a central role in what happened. In an official statement, the sheriff’s office said it was the place where “the dogs were likely killed.”
No charges have been filed so far, and the investigation is still active.
The sheriff’s office said the case is complex and there is a lot of evidence to process.
“If there is sufficient evidence to support violations of animal cruelty, fraud, or other applicable laws, the case will be submitted to the prosecution team for review and consideration of criminal charges,” the department noted.
Before the bodies were found, the owner of the rescue, Shannon Miranda, posted a statement online, asking the the public to “consider all the facts before reaching conclusions.”
He said media stories and online comments had “presented an incomplete and, in some cases, inaccurate picture” of his facility. Miranda described his rescue as a no-kill shelter.
He said the rescue only put animals down in very rare cases, never just to make space.
According to Miranda, euthanasia only happened when an animal had a terminal illness or posed a serious and ongoing danger to people or other animals.
He also explained that other shelters often turned to rescues like his as a last resort for harder-to-place dogs.
For now, the investigation remains open. The sheriff’s office has asked the public for patience as they continue to gather and process evidence.
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