Investigators excavating the grounds of Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna, California, recovered 117 intact canine remains between June 23 and June 25, 2026.
Many of the dogs appeared to have been shot, and more than 600 dog collars were found inside a barn that investigators believe was used to kill them.
The founder of Miranda’s Rescue, Shannon Miranda, 55, and his husband Jim Oxboro own a main house and a rented condo in Las Vegas, in addition to their Humboldt County property.
No criminal charges have been filed as of this writing, though Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal has called the scene “horrific” and said the investigation “is just getting started.”
Investigators x-rayed 70 of the 117 recovered dogs on site and found bullet fragments in many of them.
Forensic veterinarians on scene preliminarily determined the cause of death for many animals to be gunshot wounds.
All 117 intact animals were collected as evidence, along with 21 canine skulls, hundreds of additional bones, and six loose microchips.
Most were microchipped, and analysts are working to identify the dogs through chip records.
At least 731 animals received by Miranda’s Rescue in 2025 and 2026 alone remain unaccounted for.
The facility had accepted dogs transferred from at least 21 California shelters and municipalities, including Oakland Animal Services, Napa County, Solano County, Contra Costa County, and Berkeley Animal Care Services, with fees ranging from $400 to $1,450 per dog.
The investigation began in April 2026 after three whistleblowers, rescuer Sabrina Woods, neighbor Jennifer Raymond, and veterinary technician Jenna Moore, compiled public records showing the volume of dogs transferred to Miranda’s Rescue could not be reconciled with the facility’s kennel capacity or staffing.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is working with state and federal partners including the FBI, reports CNN.
Miranda told the North Coast Journal that the couple’s real estate holdings are not as lavish as critics suggest and that Oxboro came to their marriage with his own money.
A press conference for credentialed reporters was scheduled at the Humboldt County jail on June 29, 2026.
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