More than a thousand dogs from Bay Area shelters were transferred to Miranda's Rescue, a Northern California facility now under investigation for allegedly killing the animals for financial payments. Shelters have stopped transfers and express outrage.
More than a thousand dogs from Bay Area shelters have been sent over the past five years to a Northern California animal rescue accused of accepting dogs for the financial payments that come with them, and instead killing the animals.
The allegations against Fortuna-based Miranda's Rescue, advertised as a no-kill animal sanctuary in Humboldt County, have prompted concern among the Bay Area shelters that trusted the rescue as a safe destination for dogs. Many of those shelters have stopped all transfers to the facility after two women shared evidence that the nonprofit's founder was allegedly intentionally killing dogs and burying them in a plot behind the facility.
Investigators believe that he may have been doing so in order to get the money paid to rescues by some animal services, payments that can range from $400 to $1,450 for each dog. Miranda's Rescue is under investigation for animal cruelty and fraud, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.
San Jose Animal Care and Services, which also serves Milpitas, Cupertino and Saratoga, transferred eight dogs to Miranda's Rescue in 2025 and a total of 133 between 2020 and 2025, according to public records. Deputy Director Monica Wylie said in a statement that the agency is extremely concerned by the investigation and has severed its relationship with the rescue. Animal welfare and responsible placement practices are central to our mission; we take these allegations seriously, Wylie said.
At the time of the transfers, Miranda's Rescue met the requirements and screening standards we put in place for our rescue groups. We have reached out to them to inquire about the status and welfare of the animals we transferred. At this time, we have not been provided any information or evidence indicating harm to the dogs.
Joe DeVries, director of Oakland Animal Services, recalled the moment that he learned the fate of a dog his agency had sent to the rescue, through a photo taken by investigators of a mass grave on the property. Her name was Zora, and Miranda's had told us the previous weekend that that dog had been adopted out. And I was staring at a picture of Zora with a bullet in her head in a mass grave, DeVries said.
The floor fell out from below us. We were so shocked that I immediately canceled the transfer that we had scheduled literally for the next day to Miranda's, he added. I told my transfer coordinator, Stop, don't, you are not sending animals there. Tell them whatever you need to tell them - the truck's broken, we don't have a driver, I don't care, but we're not going to send animals.
Between 2020 and 2025, seven public shelters in the Bay Area transferred more than 1,200 dogs to Miranda's Rescue, according to numbers collected through public records requests by Jennifer Raymond, one of the women who uncovered the alleged abuses, and shared with the Eureka Times-Standard. Oakland Animal Services transferred the highest numbers of dogs to the rescue out of Bay Area facilities, with 205 transfers in 2025 and 42 in the first part of 2026, according to OAS.
Since 2020, they sent a total of 827 dogs. Santa Clara Animal Services Center transferred 25 dogs to Miranda's Rescue in 2025, with a total of 80 over the longer time period, according to the public records. In 2026, 27 dogs were transferred to Miranda's Rescue, said Carolyn Lê, a senior communications officer for Santa Clara County.
Lisa Jenkins, manager of the County of Santa Clara Animal Services Center, said in a statement that the agency was extremely troubled by the reporting surrounding this rescue. The center has also ceased its sending animals to Miranda's Rescue and has been in contact with the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office to share information about the animals it previously sent there.
At this time, we have not been notified that any of the animals involved in the investigation originated from our organization, Jenkins said. Our priority is, and will continue to be, the safety and well-being of the animals in our care and in our community. Steve Burdo, public information officer for Contra Costa Animal Services, said some agencies, like his, work with rescue groups as an alternative pipeline to adoption for animals.
That can include harder to place animals who have behavioral issues or medical needs. Contra Costa Animal Service's Martinez Shelter transferred 20 in 2025 and 170 between 2020 and 2025, according to public records. Contra Costa Animal Services will not transfer any additional dogs to the rescue, Burdo said
Dog Rescue Fraud Miranda's Rescue Bay Area Shelters Animal Cruelty Investigation No-Kill Sanctuary
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Somebody knows': Family of missing Bay Area teen seeks answers 10 years after her kidnappingThen 15-year-old Pearl Pinson was on her way to school when she disappeared, just blocks from her home in Vallejo. To mark the anniversary, supporters decorated the site and handed out pearl necklaces as a symbol of remembrance.
Read more »
Bay Area braces for Trump’s tougher CalFresh rulesHomeless people and older adults will be disproportionately affected by the new work requirements.
Read more »
Tax to bail out struggling Bay Area transit agencies appears headed to votersSupporters say they’ve gathered enough signatures to place a sales tax measure on the November ballot.
Read more »
Vote now: Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the weekMake your choice for the top performance among girls high school athletes from May 18-23
Read more »