Sacramento County Seeks Dogs Sent to Rescue Under Investigation for Animal Abuse

Last week, investigators from the sheriff’s office, FBI, California Department of Justice, USDA and Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office served a second search warrant on Miranda’s property, recovering 117 dog bodies, 21 skulls, adoption paperwork and other evidence.

“ The facts that have been uncovered are deeply disturbing, and I understand the community’s desire for answers, accountability, and justice,” Sheriff William Honsal said at a press conference on Monday.

So far, 91 microchips have been recovered from the scene, he said. Many of them “trace back to shelters and rescue facilities throughout the state.” Honsal asked for the public’s patience as investigators work through the evidence in what he described as a “complex case.”

“ This case will not be solved in the public forum,” he said. “It’ll be handled through the criminal justice system and, if appropriate, a court of law.”

Miranda’s attorney, Allison Jackson, declined to comment, and directed KQED to an online statement.

“Mr. Miranda has gone on the record stating every animal that dies or is put down is buried on the property, and this has occurred for 30 years,” the statement reads. “It is not surprising that the deputies disinterred 30 years of dogs, cats, sheep, goats, and horses.”

Jackson also wrote that Miranda and his family have faced death threats, urged the sheriff to put a stop to “salacious comments at press conferences” and called the complainants “vigilantes.”

Honsal said the rate of dogs being euthanized at Miranda’s, according to the evidence his office collected, appeared “outside the scope” of normal shelter operations.

He said the case also highlights a bigger crisis in the animal shelter system.

“California has a serious spay and neuter problem, and something needs to be done about it,” he said. “Animal shelters across the state are overwhelmed.”

The sheriff called on lawmakers to pass AB-631, a bill proposed last year that died in committee, which would have required rescues like Miranda’s to keep better records of adoptions, death and transfers.

“This type of accountability and transparency is necessary,” he said.

Sacramento’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter stopped transfers to Miranda’s Rescue over a year ago after discovering during routine due diligence that its nonprofit status had lapsed, according to spokeswoman Brittani Peterson.

The legal filing said at least five dogs were transferred there anyway with the help of two dog rescues — Resilient Dog Rescue and Scooter’s Pals — acting as intermediaries.

Heidi Hatfield, the CEO of Resilient Dog Rescue in Stockton, said she has known Shannon Miranda for about five years and that she trusted him.

“I didn’t know there was another reason why they shouldn’t be going to Shannon, aside from paperwork,” she said.

She said the dogs were picked up from Bradshaw and taken to Miranda’s Rescue by a volunteer that her organization had given “pull rights” to. Resilient Dog Rescue never had possession of the animals, and all transfer and adoption fees were paid directly to Miranda’s Rescue by private donors.

Scooter’s Pals did not respond to requests for comment. “We are fully cooperating with the authorities in support of the animals,” a statement on the rescue’s Facebook page reads. “No Scooter’s dogs are currently at Miranda’s.”

Two officers from Sacramento Animal Services were at Miranda’s Rescue last week to retrieve two dogs originally from Bradshaw: Brutus and Peorot. Peterson said Miranda refused to allow the officers to see the dogs, and they left empty-handed. One dog, Oliver, was retrieved by the shelter back in early June.

Jackson did not respond to questions about the Sacramento demand.

Honsal said that there are still 45 dogs at Miranda’s Rescue and that the facility remains open. If Miranda becomes unable to care for the animals, the sheriff said, his office has a plan to re-home the dogs.

The sheriff asked that anyone with information about the case or about animals sent to the rescue in the past year reach out to their tipline.

The allegations that Miranda took in dogs for profit and then killed them have rocked the rescue community, according to Hatfield.

Her organization has been cooperating with authorities and trying to help Bradshaw recover the animals in any way they can.

“We felt responsible for the dogs,” she said. “We wanna help them because they’re there because of our being idiots, I guess. Trusting basically people we shouldn’t have trusted.”

Zoë Ferrigno contributed to this story.