A California animal rescue sanctuary has been found to be hiding a grim secret: the remains of over 100 dogs buried on its premises. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with local, state, and federal authorities, began investigating Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna after receiving a tip in April about alleged animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy.
Investigation Details
According to the sheriff’s office, 117 intact dog remains were recovered from two dig sites, with an additional 21 canine skulls, hundreds of bones, and six loose microchips found in another dig location. Many of the dogs showed evidence of bullet fragments, and forensic veterinarians preliminarily determined that many of the dogs examined on site had died of gunshot wounds.
The sanctuary’s owner and founder, Shannon Miranda, posted a statement on the rescue’s website pushing back on the allegations, stating that the rescue has euthanized animals in the past, but only in rare circumstances when an animal is suffering from a terminal condition or poses a serious danger to people or other animals.
Authorities have not arrested or charged anyone yet in connection with this case, but the sheriff’s office said the evidence review process will require a significant amount of time due to the nature and complexity of the investigation.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
