Northern California Representative Proposes New Pet Protections in Wake of Animal Welfare Probes
A Northern California congressman has proposed strengthening the country’s animal welfare laws after local and federal investigators uncovered a mass grave at an animal sanctuary in Humboldt County earlier this year.
“It was a shocking story, and we were talking in my office about what can we do to really have some better teeth, some better tools, penalties, to stop this from happening?,” Rep. James Gallagher, R-Chico, said in an interview with KQED on Tuesday.
The legislation he introduced this week would amend the Animal Welfare Act to create a special designation for companion animals as “sentient beings.” It would give pet owners the ability to federally sue commercial pet facilities like boarding houses if their animal “suffers harm or neglect or dies” while in their care. It would not apply to farm animals or livestock.
Gallagher was elected to the 1st Congressional District in a special election in June following the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa. He is seeking reelection next week in the district —whose boundaries were redrawn under Proposition 50 — in a tight race against former state Sen. Mike McGuire. McGuire has also expressed concerns about Miranda’s Rescue and animal welfare.
The Humboldt County Sheriff began investigating Miranda’s Rescue after two local animal advocates entered the sanctuary at night and uncovered the bodies of eight dead dogs, which they turned over to authorities. Rescue owner Shannon Miranda took in more than 900 dogs between Jan. 1, 2025, and May 2026, charging fees ranging from $400 to several thousand dollars per animal. As of last month, 750 of those dogs remained unaccounted for, according to the sheriff.
Miranda has denied any wrongdoing and has not been arrested.
“We remain laser-focused on this investigation and are committed to identifying and holding accountable every individual responsible for criminal acts of animal cruelty and fraud uncovered at this nonprofit animal rescue organization,” Sheriff William Honsal wrote in an email to KQED.
Honsal said the investigation, which has included the FBI, the USDA and the state attorney general’s office, has revealed the gaps in the animal welfare system, and that he appreciates Gallagher’s proposal.
“My hope is that something positive can come from this deeply disturbing case,” Honsal wrote.
“Dunkin’s Law” is named after a 2-year-old Bernese mountain dog that died of apparent heat exhaustion while in the care of a dog trainer in Los Angeles, according to documents provided to KQED.
In late August, Andrew Fedyk and Madeline White Fedyk sent Dunkin and their other dog, Poutine, for training with Smart Dogs Training Academy as due diligence because they had just had a baby. Fedyk, who is a DJ and part of the touring duo Loud Luxury, said Dunkin was a part of their family and “ pretty much the closest you can get to a perfect dog.”
In a statement sent to police, the couple said they were assured that the animals would be kept in air conditioning. But on Aug. 26, while the city was in the midst of a heat wave, Smart Dogs owner Jeff Todd called Fedyk, saying that Dunkin had died of apparent heat exhaustion. He had been at a park with another trainer.
After discovering allegations from other pet owners whose dogs had died while in Todd’s care, the Fedyks decided to pursue criminal action. They told KQED an investigation by Los Angeles Animal Services is ongoing, but the agency did not respond to requests for comment.
“The passing of Dunkin is very sad and unfortunate,” Smart Dogs said in an email. “We do however maintain that allegations of any wrongdoing or negligence are completely false. There is no factual evidence to support these or the additional claims that have been made.”
The Fedyks said so far they are frustrated by the investigation, but they hope that new federal protections can improve the pet care industry and provide relief for people like them — and those who brought animals to the “no-kill” rescue in Fortuna.
“ We wanted to make sure that there [are] not people in this industry that do just see your dog as a dollar bill,” Madeleine White Fedyk said.
Gallagher said his office is sending out “ Dear Colleague” letters to other lawmakers to try and gather co-sponsors. Next, the bill would likely be referred for a hearing in the House Committee on Agriculture.