Investigators in Humboldt County, assisted by federal agents, are excavating a Northern California animal rescue as they search for answers in a growing animal cruelty case involving hundreds of missing dogs. The search at Miranda’s Rescue comes as authorities investigate allegations of animal cruelty, fraud and theft. Between January 2025 and April 2026, roughly 900 animals were transferred to the facility from shelters across the state. Of those, 730 are currently unaccounted for, according to Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal. “There’s no adoption records, no records whatsoever that we can locate that Miranda’s does not have that lets us know what happened to those animals,” Honsal said. “That’s what we are looking for right now.” Investigators executing a second search warrant this week are digging up parts of the property to locate suspected graves and determine how the animals died. The probe began in April after two witnesses provided video, they said showed dogs being shot and buried on the property. Dozens of animals have already been recovered in mass gravesites. “We have uncovered several anomalies in the soil, what we believe are gravesites amongst the pasture area,” Honsal said. “We are going to continue to search there until we find all the graves that we possibly can.” Oakland Animal Services is one of the agencies heavily impacted by the investigation, having transferred more than 800 dogs to Miranda’s Rescue since 2020. A microchip recently confirmed that one of its dogs, Zora, was found shot and buried on the Humboldt County property, even though the rescue initially reported she had been adopted. At the Oakland shelter, staff members recently dedicated a remembrance tree and bench for the dogs they fear never received the second chance they were promised. Joe DeVries, director of Oakland Animal Services, said staff members had fostered many of the dogs for months and built deep personal relationships with them. Given the volume of missing animals and graves, he acknowledged that closure may not be possible in every case. “I think that the owner and operator of this facility is held accountable to the greatest extent possible of the law, that is the greatest thing that could happen,” DeVries said. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are now assisting local authorities with the active investigation. Investigators said the owner is cooperating, and no charges have been filed. The search of the property is expected to continue through the week. Miranda’s Rescue did not respond to a request for comment. However, founder Shannon Miranda denied wrongdoing in a statement on the organization’s website. The statement claimed that not every animal can be safely rehabilitated, noting that in some cases, animals had attacked others or threatened staff. Miranda said euthanasia decisions were documented when necessary. For the shelter workers mourning the missing dogs, the escalating investigation brings a sense of relief. “It was uplifting,” DeVries said. “It really made the team feel like, OK, something is going to happen, that there will be accountability, that there will be justice in the end.” ...read more read less