Shelters Paid Up to $500 Per Dog to a California Rescue Where 731 Animals Are Still Unaccounted For
As the Miranda's Rescue investigation nears its third month, many Bay Area animal shelters still have more questions than answers.
On May 1, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office announced it would be investigating Miranda's Rescue, an animal rescue in Fortuna, California, after becoming aware of "credible allegations of animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy." The rescue had taken in over 900 dogs since the beginning of 2025, though initial investigations had confirmed only about 100 had been adopted. Hundreds of rescue dogs remain unaccounted for, and now a second wave of investigations has begun.
During a June 23 news conference, Humboldt County Sheriff William Hansel explained the scope of the investigation, revealing just how many of the missing rescue dogs (and other animals) have been accounted for so far.
@krcrnews crime: Over 730 animals remain unaccounted for as investigators continue a large-scale animal cruelty investigation tied to Miranda's Rescue in Fortuna, California. The HumboldtCounty Sheriff's Office said the case is ongoing, with no arrests made so far. Click the in our bio for more details.
original sound - KRCR News Channel 7 - KRCR News Channel 7
You can watch the press conference in its entirety here.
On Tuesday, officials began excavating the property in search of the remains of over 700 missing animals. Despite the active investigation, Shannon Miranda has not been arrested and is still allowed to operate the animal rescue from his property. He currently has around 50 dogs, as well as cats and birds, in his care.
How Miranda's Rescue Allegedly Turned Shelter Dogs Into Revenue
The heartbreaking investigation began when Fortuna residents Jennifer Raymond and Jenna Moore captured footage of Miranda disposing of animals' bodies on his property. A trail camera that sits on Raymond's property recorded the rescue owner dumping eight bodies in a mass grave, though local authorities did not take action when presented with this evidence.
Desperate to take action, Raymond and Moore entered Miranda's property at night and dug up the bodies themselves. They are convinced there are dozens, perhaps dozens more, buried around the property, and that Miranda killed the rescue animals in his care to make room for more.
Related: 5 Dogs Rescued From a Hoarding House Couldn't Be More Grateful To Be Rescued
Moore took it upon herself to gather information, so she started a Facebook page titled "Where are the Dogs sent to Miranda's Rescue in Fortuna, California?" She's posted over 600 profiles of missing animals who'd been sent from various Bay Area shelters to Miranda's, and she even proved that Miranda faked adoption posts on more than one occasion.
The Miranda's Rescue Investigation Has Uncovered So Far
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Division served the first search warrant on May 1, which led investigators to confirm that hundreds of dogs sent to Miranda's were unaccounted for after being presumably 'adopted.' The second warrant, served on Tuesday, allows officials to excavate the property in search of remains.
By the time of the press conference, officials had discovered the remains of a horse and a second animal the size of a dog. This is being treated as both a fraud and an animal cruelty case, though no arrests have resulted from the active investigation so far.
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The animal rescue world is stunned and disgusted by this horrific discovery, and we can only hope that the animals who were wronged get the justice they rightly deserve.
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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 6:40 PM.