The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that investigators had completed the excavation of the property at Miranda’s Rescue, a sanctuary outside Fortuna, California. Crews acting under a search warrant for grounds and buildings dug through areas where authorities believed dogs had been buried in mass graves.
During the excavation, investigators recovered 117 intact canine remains from two dig sites, the sheriff’s office said in a press release. An additional 21 canine skulls, hundreds of bones and six loose microchips were located in another dig location near where the intact animals were discovered.
Before excavation began, investigators used ground-penetrating radar to locate irregularities beneath the surface. The 117 dogs were found in varying stages of decomposition, authorities said. At the scene, 70 of the animal bodies underwent X-rays, with investigators saying many of the corpses appeared to contain bullet fragments.
“Sheriff’s investigators also located an area inside a barn believed to be where the dogs were likely killed,” the press release said. “In that same area, investigators located more than 600 dog collars.”
Most of the dogs had microchips, and analysts are working to identify them using that information, the sheriff’s office said. The remaining 47 dog bodies were taken into evidence but were not examined at the site because investigators ran out of time, authorities said.
Miranda’s Rescue described itself as a “no-kill” facility. Investigators said the organization accepted hundreds of dogs each year from shelters across the San Francisco Bay Area in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding.
The investigation was launched after a neighbor admitted entering the property without permission in April and digging up what they believed were buried dogs, according to local media reports. More than two months later, authorities have not filed criminal charges against founder Shannon Miranda or any members of the rescue organization’s staff.
Miranda addressed the investigation in a statement posted June 18 on the sanctuary’s website. He said two incidents that had brought increased attention to the rescue involved dogs with behavioral problems that he said had threatened employees, volunteers and other animals. He also asked people to withhold judgment until the investigation is complete.
“Miranda’s Rescue is a no-kill rescue,” the statement said. “We do not euthanize animals simply to make space. However, as we state on our website, there are rare circumstances in which euthanasia may be necessary. Whenever euthanasia has been necessary, I have notified local authorities in advance, even when told that reporting is not required.”
The statement added: “Allegations made without a full understanding of the circumstances can harm not only my reputation but also the future of an organization that has served this community for decades.”
The sheriff’s office said the evidence review process would require a significant amount of time due to the nature and complexity of the investigation. Upon completion, 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, authorities said.