{"id":1900,"date":"2026-06-28T20:40:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T20:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1900"},"modified":"2026-06-28T20:40:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T20:40:18","slug":"at-least-117-dead-dogs-found-in-search-at-california-animal-rescue-accused-of-abuse-officials-said","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1900","title":{"rendered":"At least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

California authorities unearthed at least 117 dogs in \u201cvarious states of decomposition\u201d on Friday, many of which appeared to have been killed by gunshot, as part of an ongoing investigation into an animal rescue organization.<\/p>\n

Read more Khadijah Farrakhan, \u2018first lady of Nation of Islam\u2019 as wife of famous pastor, dies at 90<\/a><\/p>\n

The bodies were discovered during a search of Miranda\u2019s Rescue in Fortuna, California, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office. Officials had been granted a warrant that included excavation of the property for evidence that dogs had been buried in \u201cmass graves.\u201d <\/p>\n

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The 117 canine remains were those found mostly intact at two sites, the sheriff\u2019s office said. Nearly two dozen skulls, \u201chundreds\u201d of bones, and 600 dog collars were also recovered on the property. <\/p>\n

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal thanked the law enforcement teams and forensic veterinarians who assisted in the recovery. In a statement, he noted that the investigation is \u201cjust getting started.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThe determination all of these professionals showed while working through this horrific scene is something we will not forget,\u201d Honsal said.<\/p>\n

NBC News was not able to reach Shannon Miranda, the founder of Miranda\u2019s Rescue, by phone on Sunday. She did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.<\/p>\n

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The sheriff\u2019s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April regarding allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue, and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.<\/p>\n

An initial search warrant was executed on May 1, at which time officials seized evidence related to the investigation. Investigators also determined that a \u201csignificant number\u201d of animals surrendered to the rescue had not been accounted for. <\/p>\n

A second search warrant, executed Thursday, led to the recovery of the canine remains. <\/p>\n

Forensic veterinarians were able to examine 71 of the bodies on-site Thursday but did not have time to reach the remaining 46. A preliminary examination \u2014 including X-rays of the remains \u2014 found that \u201cmany of those animals showed evidence of bullet fragments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Dangerous heat wave to scorch U.S. ahead of July Fourth<\/a><\/p>\n

Investigators are working to identify dogs that were microchipped. <\/p>\n

Other remains were found \u201cin advanced stages of decomposition\u201d and were deemed too severely deteriorated to be removed from their burial site, the sheriff\u2019s office said. <\/p>\n

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This investigation is expected to be lengthy, the sheriff\u2019s office cautioned in a statement to the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office understands the public\u2019s desire for accountability and justice,\u201d it said. \u201cHowever, it is our responsibility to conduct a complete, impartial, and legally sound investigation while ensuring that the constitutional and legal rights of everyone involved are protected throughout the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

No charges were announced. <\/p>\n

Miranda was not available for comment, but posted a statement on June 18 addressing \u201crecent media coverage and online commentary,\u201d on the rescue\u2019s website. The statement described two incidents that had \u201cdrawn particular attention\u201d both involving animals that were killed at the facility. <\/p>\n

The first involved a dog that killed another animal and attacked a third; the second involved a dog that lunged at a stroller carrying a baby, according to the statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese were not decisions made lightly and were based on my responsibility to protect both the public and the animals in our care,\u201d Miranda wrote. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The statement also described Miranda\u2019s Rescue is a no-kill shelter, meaning animals are not euthanized simply to free up space, but acknowledged euthanasia is sometimes necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever euthanasia has been necessary, I have notified local authorities in advance, even when told that reporting is not required,\u201d Miranda wrote. \u201cI believe it is important to maintain a clear record of these difficult decisions.\u201d <\/p>\n

Read more 2 women and a toddler fatally shot in Jackson, Mississippi<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

California authorities unearthed at least 117 dogs in \u201cvarious states of decomposition\u201d on Friday, many of which appeared to have been killed by gunshot, as part of an ongoing investigation into an animal rescue organization<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAt least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said - Trusted Moving Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1900\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"At least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said - 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