Authorities find 117 dog remains in California rescue investigation

Investigators found at least 117 dog remains on the grounds of Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna, California, along with 21 canine skulls, hundreds of bones and more than 600 dog collars near a suspected kill area. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said many of the dogs showed evidence of gunshot wounds or bullet fragments, deepening scrutiny of a rescue that had described itself as a no-kill organization.

The remains were uncovered during a second search and excavation that began June 23 and was completed June 27 on the 50-acre property. Sheriff’s investigators said they found two separate dig sites, including an area inside a barn that they believe was used to kill dogs. They also said 70 of the dogs were X-rayed on site, and many of those scans showed bullet fragments.

The case began after the sheriff’s office received credible allegations on April 22, 2026. A first search warrant was served May 1, and the second excavation followed in late June. County, state and federal agencies are now involved, including the FBI, the California Department of Justice, the California Attorney General’s Office and the United States Department of Agriculture, as investigators pursue an active animal cruelty, fraud and theft probe.

The scale of the missing animals is central to the case. Investigators said about 900 dogs were sent to Miranda’s Rescue since January 2025, but adoption records have been found for only around 100. That leaves more than 700 dogs still unaccounted for, a gap that has raised questions not only about the sanctuary’s operations but also about how so many placements went unchecked for so long.

Miranda’s Rescue had publicly cast itself as a place that would not euthanize animals simply to make room. Nearby shelters and animal groups now say they were misled. Friends of Oakland Animal Services said, “We deeply regret our role in those transfers,” and said Miranda’s Rescue was “actively deceiving us,” telling them dogs had been adopted when some had not.

Pressure had been building before the second search. Protesters in Humboldt County had called for the rescue’s closure earlier in June, and local officials said the sheriff’s office has received hundreds of tips and interviewed dozens of shelters as the investigation expanded across Northern California.