117 dogs found dead at ‘no-kill’ animal rescue

A burial site for over 117 dogs has been discovered at a purported ‘no-kill’ shelter in Fortuna, California.

Authorities had been investigating Miranda’s Rescue Animal Shelter, a 50-acre facility 288 miles (463kms) north of San Fransico, when the mass grave was uncovered.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office began investigating in April after receiving ‘credible information’ about abuse, fraud, and animal cruelty

The shelter’s owner, Shannon Miranda, asked the public to ‘consider all the facts before reaching conclusions’.

The 117 dogs were found alongside around 600 collars, with initial examinations suggesting many of the dogs had gunshot wounds.

Since opening at the start of 2025, the shelter had brought in 900 animals but had only listed 116 official adoptions. Over 700 animals were unaccounted for.

Across two excavated sites, the intact remains of 117 dogs, plus 21 dog skulls and hundreds of additional bones, were discovered.

Loose microchips were also found near the site, with many of the animals believed to have been chipped.

Seventy of the bodies were X-rayed, which revealed bullet fragments, leading investigators to determine gunshot wounds as the cause of death.

The department also said it discovered a barn where they believe ‘the dogs were likely killed’ as well as another area with dogs in advanced stages of decomposition.

No charges have been filed so far and the sheriff’s office has asked for patience as they continue to investigate the complex case.

‘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 said in a statement.

The search was prompted after a neighbor admitted to entering the property without permission in April and digging up what they believed to be buried dogs.

The shelter’s owner, Miranda, had posted a statement days before the mass grave was unearthed, claiming they had taken on ‘harder-to-place animals’.

‘We do not euthanize animals simply to make space,’ the website reads. ‘However, as we state on our website, there are rare circumstances in which euthanasia may be necessary—when an animal is suffering from a terminal condition or when it poses a serious, ongoing danger to people or other animals.

‘In those situations, we make the most humane and responsible decision we can, always with public safety and animal welfare in mind.’

They have denied accusations of cruelty and claimed to have ‘notified local authorities in advance, even when told that reporting is not required’ for any ‘necessary’ euthanasia.

Metro has reached out to Miranda’s Rescue for comment.

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