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<\/p>\n(KRON) \u2014 San Francisco Bay Area animal shelters are cutting off their partnership with a\u00a0\u201cno-kill\u201d animal rescue sanctuary after dead dogs were allegedly found in a mass grave.<\/p>\n
Miranda\u2019s Rescue, located on 50 acres of farmland along Sandy Prairie Road\u00a0in Fortuna, Calif., received hundreds of dogs annually from Bay Area shelters, including Oakland Animal Services.<\/p>\n
In recent months, the Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office served a search warrant at the sanctuary after animal rights advocates accused its operator of secretly shooting dogs and burying the animals on the farm. Advocates claim the killings were motivated to make room for more dogs, which generated more money.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past year, it is estimated that Miranda has received approximately over 600 dogs from various shelters. Miranda\u2019s rescue received approximately $510,000 in payment for caring for these dogs,\u201d a sheriff\u2019s detective wrote in a search warrant obtained by KRON4.<\/p>\n
Miranda\u2019s Rescue\u2019s website states it is a \u201cno-kill rescue, adoption &\u00a0sanctuary facility that brings relief to hundreds of distressed, neglected, abused &\u00a0discarded animals, large &\u00a0small.\u201d The sanctuary operates as a nonprofit charity.<\/p>\n
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(Photo via Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/p>\n
On April 26, two animal advocates said they obtained surveillance videos showing someone on the farm dumping dogs into a \u201clarge grave site.\u201d The advocates later \u201cdug out eight dogs from a large hole,\u201d the search warrant states.<\/p>\n
Detectives said they found evidence that the sanctuary lied that a dog from Oakland, named Zora, was adopted in order to receive more dogs and profits from Oakland Animal Services.<\/p>\n
The Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office\u2019s search warrant, executed on May 1, identifies the sanctuary\u2019s owner as Shannon Miranda.<\/p>\n
A detective met with Miranda and toured his rural farm on April 27. \u201cHe opened up his home and his facility. Ultimately, Shannon denied the allegations,\u201d the detective wrote.<\/p>\n
![\"Zora](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fab62d4c77099c7a8dbdbf96499b9cf3.jpeg\"\/)
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Zora waits patiently for a dog treat at Oakland Animal Services in March 2026. (Photo via OAS)<\/p>\n
The sanctuary\u2019s owner told the detective that he recently euthanized multiple horses, a Yak, some dogs, and a goat. Miranda admitted that he used firearms to euthanize dogs for \u201cexigent circumstances,\u201d and buried bodies on his farm, the search warrant states.<\/p>\n
Investigators said they were able to confirm that Zora was one of the eight dead dogs found in the grave.<\/p>\n
Miranda\u2019s Rescue did not respond to KRON4\u2019s request for comment on Monday.<\/p>\n
After confirming Zora\u2019s identity, detectives interviewed a manager for Oakland Animal Services about the dog and re-constructed the following timeline:<\/p>\n
March 31: Zora was transported from Oakland Animal Services shelter to Miranda\u2019s Rescue. At the time, the dog was \u201cin good health\u201d and \u201cdid not have any temperament issues,\u201d shelter workers reported.<\/p>\n
On April 22: The Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office said it received \u201ccredible information regarding allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy associated with Miranda\u2019s Rescue.\u201d<\/p>\n
April 25: Miranda sent shelter workers a message with a photo of Zora on a leash, writing, \u201cZora adopted.\u201d<\/p>\n
April 29: Seven more dogs from Oakland were scheduled to be transported to Miranda\u2019s Rescue. \u201cIt is my belief that Shannon murdered these dogs so that he could accept more from Oakland Animal Services for financial gain,\u201d the detective wrote. \u201cOakland Animal Services sent dogs to Shannon that were considered unadoptable, under the impression that they could live out the remainder of their lives at the rescue if their behavior was not corrected and if they were not adopted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sanctuary\u2019s owner later changed his story, according to the warrant, claiming that Zora was euthanized because the dog bit him and killed a cat.<\/p>\n
May 1: When an OAS director requested to take dogs that originated from their shelter away from Miranda\u2019s Rescue, \u201cShannon told him that he did not have good records, and that several of the dogs from Oakland had to be \u2018put down\u2019 or jumped out of cars. Shannon admitted he lied about Zora,\u201d the warrant states.<\/p>\n
May 14: Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS) said animal control officers were scanning all dogs at the sanctuary for microchips to identify each one.<\/p>\n
Jury convicts Vallejo dog breeder of animal cruelty <\/a><\/p>\n Detectives determined that, between 2023-2025, OAS transferred 445 animals to the sanctuary. \u201cMiranda\u2019s Rescue would have generated approximately $178,000 in revenue, and profiting from affiliates of the Oakland Animal Services,\u201d the warrant states.<\/p>\n Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office search warrant<\/p>\n The\u00a0Oakland shelter explained that it paid Miranda\u2019s Rescue to accept large dogs that were difficult to\u00a0find homes for. \u201cFor us and for other organizations, Miranda\u2019s charged a fee to accept these animals. They told us that this was necessary to cover costs of housing, feeding and caring for them,\u201d FOAS wrote.<\/p>\n FOAS continued, \u201cTragically, it is likely that we won\u2019t be able to determine the fate of many OAS dogs. In retrospect, we understand that sending dogs to Miranda\u2019s was a terrible mistake. We, along with many other organizations, wanted to believe these dogs were getting the second chance they deserved. As it turns out, Miranda\u2019s was actively deceiving us, telling us that dogs had been adopted when in fact some of them hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n OAS is one of many Bay Area shelters that sent animals to Miranda\u2019s Rescue, including shelters in Berkeley and Contra Costa County, according to the warrant.<\/p>\n Antioch Animal Services said, between 2016-2019, it sent Miranda\u2019s Rescue 10 dogs, 16 cats, 3 rabbits, 2 ducks, 3 chickens and 3 doves.<\/p>\n AAS wrote, \u201cOur hearts break for each unknown outcome involving the many animals brought to Miranda\u2019s Rescue in hopes of a last chance. The full scope of what occurred in Fortuna may take years to fully understand, and there will likely remain difficult questions, differing perspectives, and unknowns.\u201d<\/p>\n A 4-year-old pit bull that originated from a San Jose shelter reportedly suffered injuries at the sanctuary.<\/a> The pit bull was rescued from the sanctuary transported back to San Jose last week, according to reports.<\/p>\n This summer, detectives are continuing to search for additional evidence of suspected animal abuse and fraud.<\/p>\n![\"Humboldt](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/14db0624c2b3bec548b52168c9765963.jpeg\"\/)
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