Bay Area shelters cut ties with rescue after dogs listed for adoption were found shot and buried, report says
A Northern California animal rescue that billed itself as a safe haven for unwanted dogs is now at the center of a disturbing investigation after authorities say several dogs transferred there from Bay Area shelters were found shot and buried on the property.
The allegations, outlined in a Humboldt County search warrant affidavit, have prompted both Oakland Animal Services and Berkeley Animal Care Services to sever ties with the rescue as investigators work to determine what happened to hundreds of dogs sent there over the years.
Investigators recovered eight dead dogs from the rescue property in Humboldt County, about 4.5 hours north of San Francisco, according to the affidavit obtained by ABC7. At least one of those dogs had recently been transferred from the Bay Area.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release on Wednesday that the Major Crimes Division is investigating Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, California, over “credible allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud and conspiracy.”
As of Friday, neither the owner of the rescue nor any employees had been charged.
The investigation began on April 22 after two women contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, claiming the rescue was taking in dogs primarily for financial gain.
One of the women, Jennifer Raymond, who owns a spay-and-neuter clinic in Humboldt County, said she had been concerned about the rescue for years and that she bought property next door to monitor the operation.
Raymond and the other woman had obtained trail camera footage that appeared to show dead dogs being dumped in a field. After noticing a mound of dirt on the property, the women entered the property at night and began digging, she told investigators, according to the affidavit.
“I began digging, and I continued, and I uncovered a dog,” Raymond said. “Its muzzle was covered in dried blood. Their bodies were still warm.”
“It was gruesome. I will never forget the sight of those dogs with blood dripping out of their noses, out of their mouths, out of their ears,” she added.
Eight dogs were recovered and several appeared to have bullet holes in their heads, according to the affidavit. Raymond acknowledged she trespassed onto the property and said she is prepared to face the consequences.
Deputies executed a search warrant on May 1 seeking records, contracts, financial documents and other evidence. At the time of the search, the rescue was already over capacity.
Investigators said six of the eight recovered dogs had microchips. One was identified as Zora, a dog transferred from Oakland Animal Services less than a month earlier. The affidavit states the rescue owner previously sent Oakland Animal Services a photo of Zora on a leash alongside the message, “Zora adopted,” before the dog was later identified among the dead animals.
According to the affidavit, the rescue owner denied killing and dumping the dogs, but later told investigators he was not operating a no-kill shelter and had done the best he could with limited resources. He added that animals were typically euthanized by a veterinarian, though he sometimes shot animals himself when immediate action was necessary to prevent suffering.
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