Investigators uncovered more than 100 dead dogs — many with evidence of gunshot wounds — during a second search of a Northern California animal rescue, dramatically expanding an ongoing animal cruelty and fraud investigation.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said the findings came after a June 25 search warrant operation at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna, where investigators excavated portions of the property believed to contain mass graves.
Authorities recovered 117 intact canine remains from two excavation sites, along with 21 canine skulls, hundreds of bones, and several loose microchips, according to the sheriff’s office.
Excavation at Miranda’s Rescue reveals mass graves, forensic evidence
The search warrant authorized investigators to examine buildings and open fields on the Fortuna property for evidence of alleged animal cruelty and fraud, including digging for buried remains, authorities said.
Teams used ground-penetrating radar to identify soil anomalies before excavating at multiple locations.
During the operation, investigators found the 117 dogs in various stages of decomposition. Seventy of the animals were X-rayed at the scene, and many of those images showed bullet fragments, according to the sheriff’s office.
USDA and forensic veterinarians examined 70 of the dogs on site and preliminarily determined that many died from gunshot wounds, officials said.
Investigators also identified additional remains in more advanced stages of decomposition but decided not to excavate them due to their limited evidentiary value, instead documenting their locations
Inside a barn on the property, authorities found an area believed to be where dogs were killed, along with more than 600 dog collars, the sheriff’s office said.
Hundreds of dogs unaccounted for as investigators trace microchips
Officials said most of the recovered dogs were microchipped, and analysts are now working to match those chips to individual animals as part of the investigation.
ABC7 San Francisco reported that hundreds of dogs had been sent to the rescue by shelters and private owners, while “a significant number” remain unaccounted for.
According to ABC7, about 900 dogs have been transferred to the rescue since January 2025, but adoption records have been identified for only about 100 animals, leaving more than 700 dogs unaccounted for.
Investigators are also reviewing allegations that the rescue accepted payments from shelters under agreements to care for and rehome dogs, but may have killed some animals instead, ABC7 reported, citing a search warrant affidavit.
Sheriff: ‘This investigation is just getting started’
Sheriff William Honsal said investigators are still processing a large volume of evidence and following up on leads.
“This investigation is just getting started. There is a tremendous amount of data to process, witnesses to interview, and evidence to examine,” Honsal said, according to ABC7 San Francisco.
The sheriff’s office said the case remains active and that the evidence review process will take time, given the scope and complexity of the investigation. [
No charges had been filed as of late June, but authorities said the case will be submitted to prosecutors if evidence supports potential violations of animal cruelty, fraud, or other laws.
What’s next: investigation continues, press conference planned
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said it is working with multiple partners, including federal agencies and forensic experts, as the investigation continues.
Officials have asked anyone with information about animals previously housed at Miranda’s Rescue to contact investigators.
A press conference is scheduled for June 29 in Eureka, where authorities are expected to provide additional updates on the case.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Humboldt rescue probe finds 117 dead dogs in mass graves
Reporting by James Ward, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By James Ward, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
