Sacramento animal shelter says it cut ties with CA rescue investigated for abuse
Sacramento County’s animal shelter said Monday it no longer has ties to a Northern California animal rescue where hundreds of canine remains were found during an animal abuse investigation.
During an investigation into Miranda’s Rescue last week, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office discovered 117 dog remains and 21 canine skulls on the rescue organization’s property.
“Investigators on scene preliminarily determined the cause of death for many of those animals to be gunshot wounds,” a statement from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said.
Bradshaw Animal Shelter, located at 3839 Bradshaw Road, said in a release Monday that it ended its relationship with Miranda’s Rescue in March 2025 after determining the organization no longer met the shelter’s standards and expectations. The shelter also stopped authorizing transfers of dogs to the rescue.
The shelter said one dog transferred from Sacramento to Miranda’s Rescue was recovered safely, and two others remain unaccounted for. The shelter is pursuing “every available avenue to bring the remaining dogs home safely” and working to identify dogs connected to the shelter, the release said.
Because many of the dogs from Sacramento County were transferred to Miranda’s Rescue through a third party without the shelter’s knowledge, retrieving the dogs is legally complex, according to the release.
“As part of those efforts, Sacramento County has now formally demanded the return of all remaining Bradshaw dogs believed to be at Miranda’s Rescue and has initiated legal action to support their recovery,” the release said.
The shelter has now implemented clear guidance to rescue partners prohibiting the transfer of dogs to organizations that do not meet shelter standards, including those under active investigation or without current nonprofit status.
In a June 18 statement posted to the rescue’s website, owner Shannon Miranda said recent coverage of the situation has been “incomplete” and “inaccurate.”
The organization is a “no-kill rescue” and does not “euthanize animals simply to make space,” Miranda’s statement read.
“However, as we state on our website, there are rare circumstances in which euthanasia may be necessary — when an animal is suffering from a terminal condition or when it poses a serious, ongoing danger to people or other animals,” the statement read. “In those situations, we make the most humane and responsible decision we can, always with public safety and animal welfare in mind.”
The investigation into Miranda’s Rescue remains active, led by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. Bradshaw Animal Shelter said it continues to cooperate fully with the investigation.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 9:54 AM.
