Dogs sent to Miranda’s Rescue return to Bay Area shelters as investigation continues – East Bay Times

SAN JOSE — The two dogs eagerly sat for treats, ran up and down an A-frame ramp and licked whipped cream from the ground Wednesday morning inside a grassy enclosure at the San Jose Animal Care Center.

Just days earlier, Jaqueline, a 2-year-old gray pit bull, and Chipmunk, a 4-year-old black and white pit bull, were among four dogs brought back to San Jose Animal Care and Services from Miranda’s Rescue, a Fortuna-based operation now under investigation after allegations that dogs sent there by shelters were shot, buried on the property and possibly killed to make room for more animals.

Their return came as Bay Area shelters have grappled with how to account for animals they sent to a rescue many once trusted. Collectively, Bay Area shelters sent more than 1,200 dogs to Miranda’s Rescue between 2020 and 2026.

“We have a very passionate and compassionate group as far as our team goes,” said Monica Wylie, deputy director of San Jose Animal Care and Services. “They just wanted our dogs back.”

SJACS retrieved the four dogs from Miranda’s Rescue on June 10, Wylie said. In the East Bay, one dog has returned to Oakland Animal Services, said Joe DeVries, director of Oakland Animal Services.

Chipmunk, 4, Labrador mix, plays at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Chipmunk was taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Miranda’s Rescue last month after two local women uncovered evidence that the rescue’s owner had intentionally shot dogs on his property, authorities have said. Investigators are examining whether the operator may have been financially motivated, clearing out space to accept more dogs from shelters across the state — along with payments of $400 to $1,450 per dog.

The sheriff’s office did not respond to a request for updates on the investigation. Miranda’s Rescue did not respond to a request for comment.

Although San Jose officials began discussing how to retrieve the four dogs within days of the allegations emerging, there were several “considerations and concerns” in bringing them back, Wylie said. Those included logistical issues, such as sending two animal control employees on the several-hour drive to Humboldt County. The team also needed permission from Miranda’s Rescue to retrieve the dogs, she said.

When the dogs returned to San Jose last week, all four were evaluated. The exams did not reveal any medical concerns, Wylie said.

Jaqueline and Chipmunk are already listed for adoption and will be available alongside other dogs at a Saturday adoption event, where the shelter will waive adoption fees.

Chipmunk came to SJACS in February after he was found tied to a pole, according to his biography. He is an “aspiring agility dog” who “will happily run up the ‘A-frame’ without being prompted.” He also has a “very smiley face,” Wylie said.

Jaqueline is a “happy and wiggly” pit bull who “comes when she’s called, sits for treats and leans into pets,” according to her biography.

The other two dogs, whose names Wylie did not share, are still undergoing behavioral evaluations to determine whether they can be safely adopted, transferred to a rescue partner or whether euthanasia is the most appropriate option, she said.

“We know how we take care of our animals and just wanted to have the eyes on them, take stock of their condition and then get them moving along on their appropriate pathway,” Wylie said. “We care deeply about all the animals in the community we serve, and our priority is to provide the highest quality of animal care and a humane place for the animals to stay short-term.”

None of the deceased dogs found during the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office investigation have been traced back to San Jose’s shelter, Wylie said.

DeVries, from Oakland Animal Services, said the dog now in his shelter’s care was voluntarily returned by a person who had adopted the dog from Miranda’s and asked whether Oakland wanted it back.

Chipmunk, 4, Labrador mix, and Jaqueline, 2, pit bull, play and eat treats at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Chipmunk and Jaqueline were taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

“The dog is thriving,” DeVries said, adding that the animal was already up for adoption again alongside many other dogs at the shelter. “There’s so much unknown about the dogs that went to Miranda’s.”

Beyond being “a little freaked out,” anxious and a bit dirty, the medium-sized dog came back in fine condition, DeVries said.

Shelters are not the only groups that have taken steps to save dogs. A San Jose rescue brought back Oliver, a 4-year-old pit bull who returned with cuts and scars on his face after his time at Miranda’s Rescue.

Lisa Jenkins, manager of the County of Santa Clara Animal Services Center, said the shelter has been in communication with Humboldt County Animal Control, which has been on-site at Miranda’s Rescue to assess the welfare of the animals in the rescue’s care. So far, she said, “no concerns about the quality of care have been reported to us.”

“Because we know these dogs have previously struggled in a shelter setting, we have reached out to our established rescue partners to identify potential placement options, and we are open to working collaboratively with the rescue and the broader rescue community to facilitate transfers,” Jenkins said.

Chipmunk, 4, Labrador mix, left, and Jaqueline, 2, pit bull, right, play and eat treats at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Chipmunk and Jaqueline were taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

Steve Burdo, public information officer for Contra Costa Animal Services, confirmed that no dogs it had sent to Miranda’s were still on the property. Several other shelters did not respond to inquiries this week.

DeVries said Oakland Animal Services may never know what happened to many of the dogs it sent to Miranda’s because the rescue “didn’t provide people with their microchip numbers.” That means only a handful of dogs originally microchipped to Oakland have since had their chips updated with new owners’ information.

“It’s really frustrating,” DeVries said. “We know a lot of them didn’t make it, but we’ll never know who’s thriving and who met a really unkind fate.”

Chipmunk, 4, Labrador mix, back, and Jaqueline, 2, pit bull, front, play at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Chipmunk and Jaqueline were taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 
Chipmunk, 4, Labrador mix, plays at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Chipmunk was taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 
Chipmunk, 4, Labrador mix, left, and Jaqueline, 2, pit bull, right, play and eat treats at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Chipmunk and Jaqueline were taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 
Chipmunk, 4, Labrador mix, eats treats at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Chipmunk was taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 
Edward Robinson, a coordinator at SJACS, plays with Jaqueline, 2, pit bull, at San Jose Animal Care Services in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Jaqueline was taken back by SJACS from Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, which has been allegedly shooting some dogs in its care. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)