Humboldt Deputies Unearth 117 Dog Bodies at California Sanctuary as 730 Animals Vanish
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27
Humboldt Deputies Unearth 117 Dog Bodies at California Sanctuary as 730 Animals Vanish
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27
Summary
117 dog bodies, 21 dog skulls and hundreds of bones were unearthed at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna after days of excavation, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
70 dogs X-rayed at the scene showed evidence of bullet fragments, and investigators said a barn contained the area where the animals were most likely killed alongside about 600 dog collars.
The findings sharply expand a probe that earlier turned up only a handful of carcasses and now centers on suspected animal cruelty and fraud tied to roughly 730 animals placed at the self-described no-kill sanctuary since January 2025.
Sheriff William Honsal said the case is still in its early stages, with investigators processing extensive evidence, interviewing witnesses and leaving some badly decomposed remains in place after documenting them.