Bay Area animal shelters have cut ties with a Northern California rescue after an investigation revealed that several dogs transferred there were found shot and buried on the property. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office is investigating Miranda's Rescue in Fortuna over allegations of felony animal abuse, fraud, and conspiracy.
According to a search warrant affidavit, eight dead dogs were recovered from the rescue's property. At least one had been transferred from Oakland Animal Services less than a month earlier. The rescue's owner allegedly sent a photo of the dog, named Zora, with the message 'Zora adopted' before the animal was found among the dead.
Investigators said six of the eight dogs had microchips. The affidavit states that the owner admitted to sometimes shooting animals himself when immediate action was necessary to prevent suffering, though he denied killing and dumping the dogs. He claimed he was not operating a no-kill shelter and had done his best with limited resources.
The rescue received more than 600 dogs from shelters over the past year, along with an estimated $510,000 in funding. Oakland Animal Services transferred 445 animals between 2023 and 2025, generating roughly $178,000 in payments. A Humboldt County investigator wrote that the rescue 'murdered these dogs so that he could accept more from Oakland Animal Services for financial gain.'
Both Oakland Animal Services and Berkeley Animal Care Services have stopped transferring dogs to the rescue. Berkeley officials said at least 22 dogs had been sent there since the start of 2025, and they are still trying to determine what happened to those animals. No charges have been filed as of Friday.
