{"id":7220,"date":"2026-08-19T14:09:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7220"},"modified":"2026-08-19T14:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:09:22","slug":"oakland-shelter-mulls-legal-options-after-15-dogs-idd-in-mirandas-rescue-excavation-pit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7220","title":{"rendered":"Oakland shelter mulls legal options after 15 dogs ID\u2019d in Miranda\u2019s Rescue excavation pit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oakland Animal Services believed it was giving difficult\u2011to\u2011place dogs a second chance when it transferred them to Miranda\u2019s Rescue, a rural Humboldt County nonprofit long described as both a rehabilitation center and a sanctuary.<\/p>

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The Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office was alerted to the discovery of the eight dogs and subsequently opened an investigation on April 22, 2026, looking into allegations of animal cruelty and fraud.<\/p>\n

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On July 13, Humboldt County Sheriff\u2019s Office investigators released microchip data to Oakland Animal Services, identifying Zora, whose body was first uncovered in the original eight dogs retrieved from the pit by concerned citizens who dug them out of a burial pit located in a field at Miranda\u2019s Rescue.<\/p>\n

Following the service of a multi-agency excavation warrant in late June, investigators say at least 14 additional Oakland dogs were among the 117 intact canine remains recovered from burial pits on the Fortuna property during the search. Of the 15 dogs that were identified throughout the investigation, Friends of Oakland Animal Services received text messages for eight saying they had been adopted out.<\/p>\n

The transfers were funded not by Oakland Animal Services but by Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS), the nonprofit that supports the shelter\u2019s outcome work. Executive Director of Oakland Animal Services Joe DeVries said FOAS paid $400 to $450 per dog, depending on the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can tell you every animal that comes in here, every rabbit, snake, turtle,\u201d DeVries said. \u201cEveryone should be able to do that with any animal. They\u2019re caring for a living being, so having that record should not be hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Public records show the volume of transfers climbed over the years. While other rescues and shelters paid as much as $1,500 per transfer, Friends of Oakland Animal Shelter paid $400-$450 a transfer. In 2024 alone, 318 dogs were sent to Miranda\u2019s Rescue; that means Miranda\u2019s Rescue received at least $127,200 from the shelter. The transfers were part of a multi\u2011year pattern that totaled more than 800 dogs since 2020. Many were large dogs with manageable behavioral challenges such as food guarding, prey drive, or leash reactivity; only a small amount of the animals had bite histories.<\/p>

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\u201cFriends of Oakland Animal Services made all of these payments. Oakland Animal Services never actually paid them a dime,\u201d DeVries said. \u201cI only found 22 dogs that had a bite case. The rest were big dogs, harder to manage and harder to adopt.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second search warrant, executed on June 23 and lasting until June 25, uncovered 117 intact canine remains, 21 skulls, hundreds of additional bones and six loose microchips, according to the sheriff\u2019s office. Many of the dogs examined showed evidence of gunshot wounds or bullet fragments.<\/p>\n