Search Warrant Served at Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna Amid Animal Abuse and Fraud Investigation
A rescue near the Eel River on the left and a truck full of dogs being rescued from LA, according to Shannon Miranda. [Photos all from Miranda’s Rescue Facebook page]
This is a press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent unless guilty proven guilty:
On April 22, 2026, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received credible information regarding allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy associated with Miranda’s Rescue, located in the 1600 block of Sandy Prairie Road in Fortuna.
Due to the serious nature and complexity of the allegations, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division was assigned as the lead investigative unit. Based on evidence provided to and subsequently obtained by investigators, a search warrant was sought and granted for Miranda’s Rescue, including the residence and business.
On May 1, 2026, at approximately 6:30 p.m., investigators served the search warrant at the location. During the service of the warrant, evidence related to the investigation was seized.
Animals located on the property, including dogs and cats, were examined by Humboldt County Animal Control. At this time, Humboldt County Animal Control will continue to monitor the animals on a daily basis while the investigation remains ongoing.
This is an active and ongoing investigation. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information related to this case to contact the Major Crimes Division at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip Line at (707) 268-2539.
The Sheriff’s Office takes allegations of animal abuse and related criminal conduct seriously and will continue to pursue this investigation thoroughly.
Earlier: Another Day, Another Save: Miranda’s Rescue Helps Hundreds of Animals a Year, Says Its Founder
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Wow! Please keep us updated! I find it hard to believe it’s anything more than an oversight or a mistake. Miranda’s has been a stalwart defender and caretaker for our dogs and cats around these parts for many years…
There have been stories involving anger and aggression too if you were part of an animal community. Not many but not uncommon either.
Animal rescue is a job full of difficulty from money to ignorant outsiders. And unreasonable expectations in what is after all a business. While there have been the occasional allegations, there is also lots of pictures of clean, well maintained facilities at an unusually consistent level of care. Hopefully, there will be a public reassurance given out at the end of the investigation.
Unfortunately not. Pretty serious alligations and evidence.
>”Unfortunately not. Pretty serious alligations and evidence.”
So… where are they located ? Provide a link ?
The website dropped by Look It Up, while decidedly one-sided and hyperbolic does have some rather concerning receipts.
The anti-shannon Facebook page -also.unhinged, goes on and on and on…
Putting down dangerous pitbulls is a community service. So many of that breed have been left out to dry (and die), and the breed is the one most often implicated in chewing kids faces and worse. Go Shannon!
The California law actually requires euthanasia under some circumstances, and local animal control is a bit lax on that IMHO. My elderly mom was bit TWICE in her own driveway by the neighbor’s behavioral problem dog which had allegedly had training, had to go to ER, took weeks to heal, and because my mom wanted to keep on good relations with the neighbor and declined to press charges, Animal control only got an agreement from the dog’s owner to keep it under control until it was moved out of state because they were moving in a year anyway.
Who will take responsibility for whatever innocent child may be killed by this dog in the future? I called Animal Control to complain and her response was basically “if we killed all the dogs that bite in Fortuna 1/3 of the dogs would be dead”. My thought was: And what is the problem with that?
It’s NOT THE BREED! IT’S BAD HUMANS!
Fortunately all of if Miranda’s detractors have decided to pool resources and take over the job of running a better facility. Oh wait, that’s not true, my bad. They’re just lazy keyboard warriors.
Get real lol you’re going to regret this comment when everything comes to light.
I agree.
I’m shocked by this story.
Shannon? Miranda has been on tv, locally, for years, and has seemed on par with St. Francis…
It is almost impossible to believe that he could be responsible for any neglect or cruelty.
My first hit on this is that the allegations were vindictive and not based on fact.
I seem to recall, years ago, his being interviewed and saying some resented his site.
Or it could be some angry person who actually was abusing animals and had them removed – like those who steal dogs for inhumane fights.
i certainly hope his name is cleared.
Please continue to emphasize that ONE IS CONSIDERED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
We don’t need any witch hunts in Humboldt County.
I agree. A reliable rescue is an incredibly great resource that would be a tragedy to lose. But the people who run them are also human and under considerable stress.
The house he bought in Vegas with his blood money
Shannon out of his farm boy dog rescue duds.
I hope it’s not true. I have always thought of Miranda’s Rescue positively.
Jeremiah 20:11: “But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and will not prevail.” Stay strong Shannon! These demons will soon be blinded by your light.
his is so sad.
On one hand rescues have little oversight and their own financial livelihood usually depends upon their rescue organization as a job. Any basic human or other animal need would be best served by better oversight. Easy to blame the few who are trying hard. Have long felt maybe instead of rescues we need to concentrate donations/funding/taxes on better shelters AND financial assistance for seniors or people who are low income and who would be great pet parents – good for mental health, physical health, community health and the dogs too.
When things go wrong you can’t just quit as a rescue (where do all the animals go?) though without i imagine terrible grief and guilt. Bad enough to have to surrender a single pet (which sounds like Mr Miranda was sensitive with regarding children having to do so).
NYT had an article recently entitled Pet Ownership Costs up 60% in Ten Years” or something like that..maybe they used the word decade and maybe was not pets but dogs. Dont recall but combined with food prices and housing problems and relocations due to job losses it is all just so hard on the dogs and on the people who love them.
Yes. Vet bills and medications especially. Many of us have gone into credit card debt over our animals. But I don’t regret it one moment…and yes- for many elderly it is their main friend and joy.
Housing is a big issue. I know lots of people who would make great pet owners but can’t find a place or can’t afford a place that allows pets.
I’ve also known a lot of people who have had to get rid of pets they cared about because they couldn’t bring them somewhere they were moving.
Pretty vague on what exactly is going on with Miranda. “Animals located on the property, including dogs and cats, were examined by Humboldt County Animal Control. At this time, Humboldt County Animal Control will continue to monitor the animals on a daily basis while the investigation remains ongoing.”
So they were examined by animal control and they will continue to monitor the animals, but what exactly did they find? If they are leaving them there, why, if the animals are so abused as to get a warrant. Who turned them in? What was the evidence of abuse? Lots of holes in the story. Looking forward to any updates with more information.
Where would they take the animals? All the shelters and rescues are bursting at the seams. If conditions are good, it’s better to leave the animals where they are.
I will keep my opinion of Miranda Rescue as a posative until I learn different.
👍
Hope they don’t end up reading him his Miranda Rights.
First i laughed at your joke, then i laughed that someone downvoted it.
No disrespect to Mr. Miranda, but: humor is almost always appropriate. The human condition is ludicrous– you may as well laugh as cry, etc.
LOL!!
Our hikers walked by Miranda’s Friday, going and coming, and the animals were having quite a discussion.
Stumbled across this deplorable smear campaign last night. Sounds like a long standing grudge has resurfaced with dramatic fallout (Public announcement of blocking) between multiple animal advocates .
Unfortunately even unfounded claims can trigger LE involvement, my support has always been with Shannon Miranda and it would be a shame if I was misguided.
IDK about that. Getting Animal Control to deal with obvious longstanding abuse is incredibly hard. They mostly will not even come to look. Which I can understand as I have had to traipse out to check a number of times because someone driving by called out to me about a horse caught in the fence or dead or sick at a neighbor’s place when it was just a horse rolling in the dirt or asleep. Apparently a lot of people don’t know horses lay down or roll.
Miranda Rescue staff understandably may be somewhat overwhelmed with the sheer weight and number of unwanted shelter animals under their care, but to suggest in any way that the animals there are abused is preposterous…
The alternative would be immeasurably worse, total bedlam and complete chaos, resulting in animal deaths and suffering from pet vs vehicle accidents and encounters, not to mention potential corellative collateral human injuries and casualties.
I am very appreciative of Miranda Rescue, and for the extraordinary efforts and unparalleled dedication that Shannon Miranda is consistently long known for…
He has more than graciously assisted me when I found two repeat AWOL Frenchy offenders running loose dangerously (AGAIN) along Alderpoint Road.
They would have surely been killed or injured without immediate intervention, not unlikely also causing vehicular accidents.
Shannon Miranda made a valiant effort to accept them even considering limiting space constraints…
I had a pressing mechanical appointment for a battery, and if I would have shut my vehicle off, It wouldn’t have restarted and it was nearly after hours for Miranda Rescue…
Shannon Miranda instantly recognized these two Frenchy frequent flyers, and was able to efficiently reunite them with their owner, not to mention Shannon IMMEDIATELY recognized the unaltered state of one of these two female Frenchies, and potentially responsibly facilitated the prompt correction of it’s propensity for uncontrolled multiplication as a condition of his necessary hospitality and shelter…
The widespread inhumane animal suffering and lack of proper animal control that would happen without Miranda Rescue is unfathomable…
Shannon Miranda’s Miranda Rescue should be facilitated and assisted by the Humboldt County powers that be, not investigated and obstructed by them…
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control, as necessary and effective as they are, are no way adequate for the pressing, overwhelming County need, and without Miranda Rescue, HCSAC services alone would be woefully insufficient for our County’s animal control problems and needs…
If precious Humboldt County resources are to be directed towards Miranda Rescue, then they should be wisely provided on behalf of Shannon Miranda and his invaluable services, not foolishly and wastefully used against him…
Let’s give some credit where credit is long overdue…
Thanks Shannon Miranda.
I haven’t forgotten that you went above and beyond the call of duty when I needed it most…
You saved me…
And you definitely saved those two little farting female Frenchies…
God bless you, and hopefully, this too shall pass…
This is a prime example of…
“No good deed goes unpunished.”…
You’ll always be a hero in my book, Shannon Miranda.
Bountiful blessings to you and your wonderful family…
Sincerely and appreciatively,
The Real Guest…
Oh quit. Do you think HCSO serves a warrant with nothing to it? Something is happening there.
No way,
I ain’t quittin’…
And I don’t really care much of a whit about what the warrant is allegedly for…
Sounds like you have a personal bone to pick with Miranda’s Rescue, Jamie…
Do you have a pet peeve…???
Is that what this is all about…???
Suddenly Humboldt County Animal Control ifs finally monitoring these animals health and welfare…???
Well, Good, I’d say, it’s about damn time…!!!
Where was Humboldt County Animal Control all this time while animal trouble in Humboldt County was brewing…???
Twiddling it’s thumbs…???
If Humboldt County Animal Control was properly doing its job all these years, Miranda’s Rescue wouldn’t ever have even be necessary In the first place, at all…
I can just about guarantee you that a great deal more is going on at Miranda’s Rescue, as far as who is taking care of more numerous unwanted animals, than is going on at the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control Shelter in McKinleyville…
That’s probably for damn sure…!!!
Maybe that unsustainable imbalance is actually what needs to be properly investigated and publically shamed…???
Kym Kemp should send a reporter to the sheriff’s animal shelter in McKinleyville, and to Miranda’s Rescue near Fortuna, to document just exactly which facility is doing the lion’s share of the heavy lifting, and which one is slacking, when it comes to who is harboring the most numerous unwanted and/or stray animals…
I think that would be a real eye opener…
Let’s see it…!!!
The onus should be on Humboldt County Animal Control, not Shannon Miranda…!!!
I know, shocker…!!!
I got a dog there last year. My dog is so lucky. I specifically got him there because I wanted him to be safe. He is now safe. These allegations have been happening for years. Now there seems to be evidence.HCSO it doesn’t just serve warrants on a large non-profit like this without evidence. This non-profit charges a lot for surrenders. Something is going and has been for a long time.
They have a number of times in the past where nothing came of it. So proof, actual proof, rather than vague references, are needed.
Yes I do. If based on allegations. They would need to confirm or dispel them. I saw on another site this is based on two ladies with agendas. One evidently has alcohol problems from an arrest report dui. Sadly this man loves animals so much he takes what Los Angeles and the Bay Area ship out and tries to rehab them so they can find homes because Los Angeles and the Bay Area want to evade responsibility for aggression. I wonder how much drugs they give these animals to transport them here and out of their responsibility. It seems that there are some wing nuts out there and this happens every couple of years to this incredible rescue.
Here’s my Miranda’s Rescue kitty Meelo. Been with me 4 1/2 years.
Meelo is a very lucky cat…
It looks like he is very well taken care of, too…
Thanks for adopting Meelo, NorCalNative, and also for giving Meelo such good care…
Finally!!!! Hope he rots and all those animals are saved.
And replaced by who? He has willing to consistently take in animals no one else would even try to help. I sincerely hope that he is vindicated because animal control simply will not even come if you report an issue.
Maybe Humboldt County Animal Control should start doing what they should have been doing all along…???
If Humboldt County Animal Control actually did their job, Miranda’s Rescue would never have been necessary in the first place…
What a slap in the face to be investigated by those same individuals whom Shannon Miranda stepped up, and stepped in, to do their job for them for so many years…
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control didn’t do it, so now they scrutinize and investigate Shannon Miranda because they don’t like the way Shannon Miranda is doing Humboldt County’s job for them, since they aren’t doing it themselves…???
Irony abounds…
Hypocrisy abounds…
Humboldt County dropped the ball, and now they want to punish Shannon Miranda for picking it up and running with it, just because they don’t like the cut of his jib…
That’s some double standard type bullshit.
At least Shannon Miranda walks the talk…
A little to easy for HCSAC to scrutinize Miranda’s Rescue for how they are doing the job that HCSAC is completely refusing to do at all, that the HCSAC are supposed to be responsible for doing, in the first place…
Without Miranda’s Rescue all these years just imagine how bad the stray and abused animal problem would currently be…
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side…
Sheesh, I wonder if the Humboldt County Sheriff’s office used K-9’s in the search…???
Maybe the woefully insufficient Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control facility needs to up it’s game, and properly provide more adequate services for the county’s overwhelming animal control and animal shelter needs, and cut Miranda’s Rescue some slack…
If the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control facility’s very limited potential ability to match the animal control needs of the county was increased, the immense pressure on Miranda Rescue to pick up where the HCSAC facility leaves off would be much more manageable…
They should be working cooperatively with Shannon Miranda, not against him…
Miranda Rescue’s services compliment HCSAC’s services…
Humboldt County can I’ll afford to be without either organization…
For everyone giving the benefit of the doubt. The alligations are serious. VERY serious backed with evidence. The investigation is ongoing.
There was always a reason I would ask people to go get a pet there. I wanted the pets out of there.
Sounds like a personal crusade.
Yes it is. God forbid I want animals to be adopted to a loving home.
You should be very grateful that Miranda’s Rescue provided by an alternative to animals being euthanized at the Humboldt County Animal Shelter after just two weeks…
But instead you only badmouth Miranda’s Rescue…???
You have no equivalent negative comments concerning the Humboldt County Animal Shelter’s streamlined euthanization regimen…???
Seems a little odd…
You AOK with accelerated euthanization…???
Pretty self contradictory…
I am grateful people adopted animals from there and took them home.
They ship van s full of stray dogs and cats from L.A. ? Why?
Probably for the same reason you and I are here.
I would like everyone backing him to pause, and wait for the evidence for the story to come out before writing something you may regret later.
As an animal lover and fellow rescuer, I will always back a reputable shelter/rescue. In this case, it is not a matter of IF there is evidence of animal abuse. It is just a matter of when the evidence will be released. I respect the HCSO for finally taking these allegations seriously, and will be respecting that they need time to process the evidence prior to its release so that Miranda can be prosecuted to the maximum extent.
This is not a matter of not having enough volunteers or donations to take care of these animals. This is not a matter of simply hitting dogs as a form of training. This is not just a matter of he said/she said. This is more than just talk. This is as bad as it can get. Remember that not all evidence is visible with the naked eye…
Please be patient and wait for the evidence to be released, and see if you still uphold any positive thoughts for Miranda.
Pretty sure that’s what we are doing. I’ve always held Miranda’s rescue in the highest regard. But I’m open to having my views shattered. Heck- I spent years thinking hippies were wise and cool and that the Grateful Dead scene was beautiful and kind…and that the DEMs were a great political party. I’m very used to having my very best beliefs destroyed….
They say you should never meet your heros.
Daniel 2, 31-45 …. Idols
“You were looking, O king, and lo! there was a great statue. This statue was huge, its brilliance extraordinary; it was standing before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of that statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked on, a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, were all broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
P.S. I am not religious. I just find the wisdom of great quotes. Looking forward to a great mountain.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying things like “it’s as bad as it can get”, but nobody actually saying what they’ve supposedly personally witnessed.
So what is it? Some people seem mad he charges a surrender fee (most private rescues do, they have to feed the animals somehow) is he having animals euthanized by the vet without telling the former owners? Dog fighting? Doing a Kristi Noem?
It’s along the proposed path of the precious Great Redwood Trail…
So it’s got to go…
Shannon Miranda has 50 acres that the Great Redwood Trail would probably like to usurp…
The timing of this seems suspect…
More than just a coincidence, maybe…???
And then there is the competition, who shall remain unnamed, by any other besides AI…
Shannon’s financial loss would probably become their financial gain…
Call it motive…
Hmm that’s a lot of land….not sure if I would even want a trail there knowing what happened. I’m sure any financial loss can be regained by selling his 5 million dollar vacation home in Vegas.
Sounds like that nice home of his is really what’s bugging you…
I can do basic math and can have a mind of my own if there are things that don’t make sense. Is that really what you think is a smart deduction from these conversations? That everyone upset about this is jealous of a 5 million dollar home and that is why we choose to try and prosecute him? Not that we are concerned for the animals perhaps? Makes sense…….
I think I saw that he was making maybe $100k at best from Miranda’s as a salary? Does that = a 5m dollar vacation home? Does that sound like he needs more donations and that he struggles with finding funds to take care of these dogs? Yes, lets take from the low income community to fund this rescue, despite accusations of fund misappropriation and not being able to provide documentation. Why question it?
Please, let me know if I can have the house if he loses. Obviously, that’s all that matters.
I seem to have struck a nerve…
I must’ve hit the nail square on the head…!!!
The tracks are on the other side of the 101, 1/3 of a mile away; nowhere near Miranda’s.
Proposed GRT associated “loop trail” “opportunity”…
GRT Map Book pages 108-109…
This action against Shannon Miranda could very well be an attempted land grab, as an “opportunity” “loop trail” associated with the Great Redwood Trail has been proposed along Sandy Prairie Road, from the Van Duzen River, Alton, to 12th Street, Fortuna.
And guess whose private property Sandy Prairie Road runs right through, potentially creating a right of way issue…???
That’s right, Shannon Miranda’s place …
What a coincidence, right…???
Right where it looks like the public part of Sandy Prairie Road ends, right at the intersection of Drake Hill Road, Shannon Miranda’s property begins…
Imagine that…!!!
The proposed “loop trail” “opportunity”, associated with the Great Redwood Trail, plans on blazing right through there…
https://kymkemp.com/2026/05/02/search-warrant-served-at-mirandas-rescue-in-fortuna-amid-animal-abuse-and-fraud-investigation/#comment-1921339
I believe there is more than meets the eye with this action against Shannon Miranda…
Its reminiscent of the actions against both the Summers Brothers, and Hansens, and the associated land grabs that resulted from those actions…
The Summers brothers, and Hansen, were both put out of business “in the interest of progress”, when the 101-Highway 36 overpass and interchange went in…
Looks like Shannon Miranda is in their sights, now…
Lets not kid ourselves…
Everyone wants to know the details, but this is investigation. The statement from HCSO is literally “hey, just letting you know, we are initiating an investigation yesterday”. The last thing I want to do is mess up an investigation because people can’t wait for the investigation to end and the results publicly released. I want him to be able to be persecuted to the maximum extent. Of course everyone who knows the details wants to release that information. There are some that have let it slip already. All I will say is that there is FACTUAL evidence. Not just allegations and he said/she said. Honestly, it sucks that it went on for this long because so many people dismissed it. I hope that they will release the results of the search warrant soon, so that the people who back him will get a reality check.
It is not always obvious that someone is committing a crime. There are many murderers who looked like angels to the community. Many are great at hiding the evidence to the public. Unfortunately for him, the evidence will be very to hide with a search warrant, especially because they know exactly where to look.
No matter what, it is time for the supervisors and the city councils that contract with the Humboldt County Animal Shelter to take a much larger stand to protect the animals that are forced into these shelters. Time to focus on making these vulnerable animals a better priority. Their constituents who have mentioned their love of their animals in their obituaries should at a minimum be given some respect. They can do better.
That I would totally agree with. Unless the county is willing to put money into animal care, they are never going to be able to cope with the massive amount of animal issues.
I hope that all the people who have been donating to Miranda’s instead donate to the shelter, so that the shelter could be doing a lot better. Miranda’s requires around $500 for each person to surrender their dog, then also requires an adoption fee after using little to none of that money to actually go to medical care. Also if the people adopting from Miranda’s would adopt from the shelter instead, the shelter would have more room to take in more animals.
I would and have donated to the non-profit group that provides for extra medical costs of animals they take in. But the shelter itself is a government obligation the county just ignores. They do not charge because they legally can’t. First go to the county shelter maybe but unless you want a pit bull or a pit bull mix, good luck with that.
Is Miranda Rescue any different than Sequoia Humane Society which charges too? And Miranda’s takes horses and other animals that they don’t. I have no problem with anyone charging what the traffic will bear as long as the animals get the care they need. Those groups have huge expenses. Because their money demands offend does not make them bad for animals.
The county shelter gets plenty of non pits. Miranda’s Rescue even takes animals from shelters who have dogs on the euthanasia list. Which is applaudable, but only if he is shown to actually keep these dogs until they are adoptable (which he says that he does directly on his website). If they aren’t adoptable at the shelter, how is Miranda’s adopting out these dogs and still managing to take in hundreds of dogs more?
They don’t charge because that is required yes, which means they have less funds to work with than someone who charges, such as Miranda’s. The shelter also typically takes in animals as long as they have room, for no charge. Which most, if not all dogs that go to Miranda’s is accompanied by a fee. Sequoia also requires a fee, but their fee is more reasonable, I believe at $75? Also, they keep excellent records of dogs that go in and out, alongside what they utilize their funds for. Can we say the same for Miranda’s? I would love to see a balance sheet of donations, fees, and what they are used for. Any 501c3 non-profit should be able to show these documents, as it is required to maintain them. More importantly though, I would love to see records of every dog that comes in and who they are adopted by.
I think that is reasonable.
$75 is not reasonable. That’s not enough to even give an animal all it’s vaccines.
That’s because they were charging a lot more than that a decade ago when I last checked out a dog there.
Actually, it is. Shelters often have their own means of providing low cost veterinary care. They have trained veterinary professionals that can store and give vaccines themselves. They usually have a grant to help pay for spaying and neutering (that includes Miranda’s), if the animal that was surrendered wasn’t neutered in the first place. We can’t be comparing normal veterinary costs to shelter veterinary costs. Dogs from Miranda’s don’t typically come with vaccines. If they do, Miranda does not go to a vet to give them, he gives them himself without veterinary direction. It says on his website that he doesn’t vaccinate for rabies because they need a vet visit. Rabies is a vaccine that is required by law. Most shelters work with veterinarians and can receive this very low cost. You can go to Humboldt Spay and Neuter Network and get a rabies vaccine for $21.
When you are taking in $500 per animal, plus at least $100 for the adoption, the animals should be neutered, vaccinated for parvo and rabies at the very least. He also receives city funding, and donations to boot. For that cost, they should also be microchipped, and tested, especially taking in groups of dogs from Hoopa where there is a lot of heartworm. If he takes a pet that is already spayed/neutered, the vaccines he does claim to give is probably $50 max his cost, and that’s if they need multiple.
I’m not saying that care costs can’t be higher than $75, I’m saying that if we are going to compare rescues here, we should be looking at everything. Not just that both require a surrender fee. We should be looking at where those funds are going.
Taken straight from their websites:
Sequoia Humane Society: Each animal is spayed or neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped, heartworm/lyme tested for dogs (over 6 months of age) and feline leukemia/AIDS tested for cats. Sequoia Humane Society administers DA2PP, Bordetella, and Rabies to its dogs. Sequoia Humane Society administers the Rabies (if 6 months or older) and FVRCP vaccines to its cats.
Mirandas: CATS at the shelter receive FVRCP shots. The FVR stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (upper respiratory tract infection). C is for Calicivirus, a disease of the mouth, nose, and eyes. The P is for Panleukopenia, also known as Feline Distemper. We do not vaccinate for Feline Leukemia!
DOGS at the shelter receive DHLPP, which includes Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosus (a bacterium that can affect people, too), Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus. They are are also vaccinated for Coronavirus.
We have recently started vaccinating for Rabies virus, but this vaccine must be administered by a vet, so animals who have not had a vet visit since arriving may not have been vaccinated. If in doubt, please ask. Some of our animals arrive at the shelter already vaccinated for Rabies or other diseases, but some do not. If in doubt, let your vet know that you are uncertain about the animal’s medical history.
I would rather donate $500 to Sequoia, but maybe that’s just me.
If you find the fee too high, take your dog elsewhere. It’s a free country (sort of). It is NOT a crime to charge $500 per dog accepted. It’s an attempt to be responsible.
I find it mildly amusing that the most likely to complain about high fees are the least likely to actually volunteer to walk the animals, clean the kennels, and donate food, meds, shots, or items for the Miranda’s Thrift Shop.
I have no personal knowledge of the 501c data for Miranda’s however, so reserve the right to change my currently positive impression of this charity to which I have donated both my time & thrift items.
Ask for the records from the Humboldt County Animal Shelter, and see what they are willing to provide you with…
Then please share that with the rest of us…
…thank you…
If you are able to get records from Miranda’s, please share. I would love to see it.
Sequoia Humane Society does not charge people who surrender an animal. A donation of any amount is appreciated but not required.
Sequoia Humane Society called the police on a 13 year old girl asking for her dogs back. They were very cruel even after learning the truth to the circumstance they refused to give back her dog.
I adopted a stray last year from Miranda‘s rescue. All it took was $100 bill. No vetting me whatsoever. Although, they had no idea what shot this dog had or any other history on it. That is not good adoption practice. I took this small dog anyway because I wanted it out of there. It was scared it was alone, traumatized, and hiding. This dog has been there for three months already. Believe me it has a good home now.
How long before it would have been euthanized at the Animal Shelter…???
Two weeks or less,..???
Would that really have been a better alternative…???
How do you know when any dog will be euthanized? I do know if I get a dog there there will be a record of all the shots that dog has had. Not just adopt a dog to someone and say I don’t know if it’s that shots or not?
Are you related to Miranda‘s rescue? It sounds like it’s personal to you.You sure are being defensive.
I don’t.
The Humboldt County Animal Shelter does not accept surrendered animals…
And any donation towards the Humboldt County Animal Shelter would be funding a kill shelter…
And you should ask yourself how many people since 1998 have surrendered their animals to Miranda’s Rescue, where they have a much better chance of survival, instead of them ending up one way or another at the Humboldt County Animal Shelter, where they will likely be euthanized in short order, unless they are very amicable and/or very quickly adopted…
Let’s not kid ourselves…
Do your homework.
Humboldt County Animal Shelter does not accept surrenders when they are at full capacity. They actually provide their housed dogs with good medical care and adopt them out appropriately without taking any fees. Having a capacity is not a bad thing. For a shelter that takes animals without fees, they sure do a lot more than Miranda’s who gets at minimum $600 per dog (IF they are actually adopted out….).
Humboldt County Animal Shelter is very transparent about what they do. Humboldt County Animal Shelter goes through a whole process before determining if a pet needs to be euthanized. Miranda’s claims they are a no-kill shelter unless absolutely necessary, and that the euthanasia is done humanely by a trained veterinarian.
You will be getting a good reality check when the evidence is released. Let’s see if your homework holds up.
Sometimes, humane euthanasia is not the worst thing that can happen to a dog.
OK, I’ll bite: What are people supposed to do with animals when the HCAS is full? Reminds me of the requirement to dispose of hazardous wastes at a proper facility – but no proper facility exists (for some items, at least some of the time, when they are moving, etc). It’s almost as if taxpayer citizens must accommodate the needs of the the bureaucracy that they support, rather than the other way around.
You could always donate $$$, or increase county taxes to fund it, Really? it’s not the county’s job to house animals.
It *is* the county’s job to make sure there aren’t packs of dogs roaming the streets, biting people, killing other animals, or spreading rabies. That means having animal control and an animal shelter.
Poking the B has the day off so I’m filling in. Sort of.
”Arrgh Fortuna is _____(adj) and their ____(proper nouns)_____ really ____(verb)____ badly.”
Spoiler alert. Everything changes over time.
Fair weather friends are easy to come by…
They come and go, as the wind blows…
They’re as common as piss foams…
Even if things have gone awry, all the good things for animals, (and people), that Shannon Miranda has already done, should never be suddenly overlooked, just to focus on what’s now gone wrong, if that’s what has actually happened…
Some things may be well beyond his control…
Time will tell…
Regardless, I will continue to properly appreciate the stray animal help he has previously professionally provided me with…
And I will wish for him the best possible outcome in this potentially very difficult situation…
That’s the least I can do in return…
And I can’t help be absolutely astounded by the irony of the fact that the true responsibility of/for animal control in Humboldt County lies squarely upon the shoulders of…
… wait for it…
…Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control…
Yet, the individual, Shannon Miranda, that has been picking up where Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control has left off all these many decades, is being investigated for doing it, by none other than…
…wait for it…
…Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department…
That’s like a bunch of worthless deadbeat dads all banding together to hypocritically investigate the resulting foster care for neglect and abuse…
If they were properly living up to their responsibilities in the first place, their would not be any reason nor necessity to scrutinize or investigate those who they have irresponsibly come to depend on in their stead…
Pretty damn hypocritical if you ask me…
If Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control had properly done their job all these years, Miranda’s Rescue would not have ever been necessary, and so this Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department investigation into who has been thanklessly doing Humboldt County Animal Control’s job for them, wouldn’t now have been necessary, at all…
I think that that is imperitive to keep in mind through all of this…
Why doesn’t Humboldt County Animal Control IMMEDIATELY TAKE CHARGE OF ALL OF THE CARE AND ALL OF THE TREATMENT OF ALL OF THE ANIMALS AT MIRANDA’S RESCUE, POST HASTE, LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING ALL ALONG, AND PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THERE MOUTH IS…???
SHANNON MIRANDA MAY WELCOME IT…
HUMBOLDT COUNTY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATING HUMBOLDT COUNTY, BEFORE INVESTIGATING MIRANDA’S RESCUE…
WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE, IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER.
Fortuna prefers to contract with Miranda’s to hold their stray dogs than to contract with the county to hold their stray dogs. The other incorporated cities contract with the county.
I believe this is connected to these witness statements:
https://allabouttheanimalsne.wixsite.com/aaarescuenetwork/mirandas-witnesses
Thank you for this link.
Total Garbage link…!!!
What kind of sleezeball PI puts up pseudonymous allegations in public prior to any legal findings?
Could the origin of this be a bad prior romance? Spurned lover? Land grab by political interests?
Not a pI just found that referenced on another site. Also it looks like statements from a lot of former volunteers not lovers, if you read it. Never met the people just saw the witness statements and thought people might be interested like I was. I have no Land grab political interests. Only sleazy thing I see are the insults to a losing argument.
Why isn’t anyone mentioning the people that put these animals in this situation to begin with?!*. It’s such a throw away society it’s sickening. Poor animals. The problem is the people that abandon them in the first place. The laws need to change and make consequences more severe. Maybe then the numbers of animals needing help would drop. Instead of passing the responsibility onto somebody else.
IMHO:
Likely a hundred people (or more) visit Miranda’s rescue every month.
You would ‘think’ that number of visitors might somehow ‘detect’ something…
but they haven’t.
Got a dog there… I didn’t see anything other than animals wanting new owners.
Wish I could have taken them all…
S. M!randa has been under investigation over and over for decades. Even Peta investigated him. The Sheriff has report after report. Everyone looked away. It was easier to believe he was somehow magically placing all these dogs (and getting quite wealthy – new $mm home in Vegas) that other shelters and rescues could not. Friends of shelters used him regularly. Thousands and thousands of dogs. The proof is irrefutable and horrific and it’s finally being laid bare by someone who had the gumption, funds and just that weird feeling that something was quite wrong with Miranda’s. And hopefully you, dear reader, won’s have to see the gruesome photos to admit we’ve all been duped by this absolute p$ych0pathe. May he and those who helped in covering this up for decades face swift and severe punnishment.
They did not look away. There was nothing to back up allegations. Sadly there are some folks who believe anonymous reports with people not putting their name behind it suffices for evidence. It doesn’t.I often question the mental health of some of these accusers. They live inside their own heads and only gossip in their small groups.
Or that there are people with an personal agenda out to smear someone for personal reasons they just don’t mention? Like relationship drama, the reality becomes impossible to determine. All this sort of innuendo does is make the waters so muddy no one know what the truth is but everyone gets dirty just looking. If you have a real, specific allegation, spit it out.
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/04/hcso-is-on-their-way-to-meet-with.html
Speaking the truth. Thank you.
I smell a rat…!!!
Consider the alternative…
“Is the Humboldt County Sheriff’s animal control shelter a no kill shelter”
“No, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Shelter is not a no-kill shelter.
As a municipal county facility, it acts as an impound for stray and abandoned animals, and will euthanize animals that are deemed unadoptable due to illness, injury, or aggression after a set evaluation period.
Key Details Regarding the Shelter:Policy:
Euthanasia is considered a last resort, but is used, especially after a “two-week waiting period” if an animal is deemed unadoptable.
Volunteers/Rescue Partners:
The shelter works with local groups like Redwood Pals Rescue to try to find homes for animals.
No Owner Surrenders:
Due to high volume, they generally do not accept owner-surrendered pets, only stray or impounded animals.
No-Kill Alternatives:
Private, no-kill organizations in the area include Miranda’s Rescue and the Sequoia Humane Society.
For more information, you can check their official website.
Shannon has revised his no-kill designation on business documents. (Prior to October 2013, Mirandas’ website stated: “As a no-kill facility, we do not euthanize animals to make room for new intakes. Any animal that is deemed adoptable will live at the sanctuary until a loving and permanent home is found”. However, in October 2013 he changed his website stating his policy to euthanize animals “terminally ill or considered dangerous”. He has since changed it again stating “We reserve humane euthanasia for terminally ill animals and animals that are deemed unadoptable that are considered dangerous.” )
And, considering the foolishness by which people allow their animals to breed there is no option sometimes!
The mass cat euthanasia reports from here sound awful. But at any one time Shannon might have 40 or more cats and the Humboldt County shelter is the same story dozens upon dozens of cats. And if the whole cat room ends up sick with something, what’s the plan?
Only in a fantasy land is there a safe comfortable home with food and vet care for every damn cat or dog in this county.
Overbreeding got us here; it’s not a Shannon problem; it’s an us problem.
Do the math. There’s 45 cats for every man woman and child in the United States. 13 dogs. No kill shelters sound fun on paper but boots on the ground is an entirely different story….people should think about that reality when they be acting all naive and anthropomorphic saying oh ” I’m just going to let it have one litter.”
Yes, and how much does Miranda‘s rescue charge per surrender? BTW no kill shelters are allowed to euthanize some animals and keep records on them. Maybe that’s part of the problem no records are being kept?
How much Miranda’s charges for surrender is completely irrelevant.
Is that what is ruffling your feathers…???
Your precious shekels…???
And you are worrying about “records”…???
How “petty”…
Paperwork sucks…
Karens abound…
Haters abound…
Backstabbers abound…
Shekels be damned.
Mr. Miranda has helped me with dozens of animals needing rescued sometimes when Humboldt County Animal control refused to help. When dogs were abandoned at a grow he was the only one offering help, not even Humboldt County animal control. He even helped me get a handicap girls dog out of the Washington DC animal shelter. His heart is in the right place. I doubt he will get a fair investigation, considering the horrible heart wrenching experience my family had with the Humboldt County Animal Control and our dogs.
I’ve only have had excellent things to say about Animal Control – keep in mind I’ve only been around here a few years.
But, Animal Control Officers, driving from Mckenlyville to deliver food for dogs whose owners cant afford dog food, should be praised. I’ve seeing it done 4 times, in SoHum.
I have had several interactions with AC Officers that serve the SoHum area. These individuals have been nothing but caring. Based on my interactions with AC, I imagine that if someone’s animals have been confiscated, it is because the conditions were dire & reprehensible.
In AC Officers’s defense, there is a very onerous protocol/system in place, so they can’t proceed to save the animals promptly as most of us would like them to. Verbal complaints are not enough probable cause. In my experience, on animal welfare checks, AC Officers have circled back & checked on the animals’s conditions – these are animals I’ve called on.
I support the local Animal Control Officers. I wish there was a mechanism to force people to fix their animals & to punish animal hoarders.
I am not looking forward to
what the Miranda Rescue’s investigation is going to bring to light.
Garberville Redway veterinary clinic closing has had far reaching ramifications as far as animal care is concerned in Southern Humboldt, and it hasn’t been a plus…
They were an integral, very necessary part of this community…
We are much diminished without them…
Well, where should we start? There is the time my husband and I witnessed the animal control officer unloading lost animals out of his vehicle on a back road and transferring them into a ranchers vehicle who was selling them at auction for a quick buck. The officer was part of a scam, one of my animals ended up at the auction house. Funny you mention delivering food to a home in southern Humboldt. When the officers arrived at one of these houses last year, there was shit and piss all over the floors and walls, and the five dogs were emaciated. The shelter didn’t want Pitbulls, they would just be a burden. I ended up finding great homes for all of them. Don’t forget all of the grows legal and illegal that are abandoning dogs and cats. Have you ever tried getting animal control to come out and help with the abandoned dogs and cats in Sohum? The Shelter is 2 1/2 hours away from me. You said I imagine that if someone’s animals have been confiscated is because conditions were dire and reprehensible. My dogs get fresh cooked meals every night and sleep next to my bed, they are family. The thing you don’t understand is when animal control officers refuse to look at hard evidence like videos or text messages that could prove who dumped your animals instead of just pointing the finger at the owner. I don’t know if they were just too lazy or didn’t care of the outcome.
Wishing you a more positive interaction with AC Officers in the future.
I am curious to hear what year were AC Officers stealing animals?
Are these Officers still on the Force? Did you report them to the proper Chain of Command?
Accusations w/ appropriate actions, IMO, is just gossip.
I am glad you stepped in & saved the dogs. We need more people to do what you did. Thank you for stepping in.
Yes, I’ve made calls RE abandoned
animals. Yes, AC responded.
I’ve called for welfare cks. Got the checks from AC.
I’ve never been inside people’s house to observe their hygiene, so there have never been lack-of-hygiene reports from me.
My reports have been mainly dogs in need of food, loose dogs, tethered dogs, potential dog/other animal physical abuse & blatant dog killing.
All my calls were promptly responded. Maybe I called on slow-days? Or they like people w/ accents – that will be a 1st for me 🙂
Homemade food & sleeping in owners’s beds does equate to proper or great animal welfare. Some people have terrible eating & hygiene habits.
You are absolutely correct, I do not understand your comment about “declining to see (evidence) videos & texts.” Has not happened to me yet – there is still time.
What I do understand is when the Officer asks: “are you willing to be a witness?” I’ve always said & will always say “yes”, when animals & what I perceive to be the innocent/frail beings are presumed to be at risk.
Based on my personal experience, I stand with Humboldt County’s AC Officers & the County Shelter staff.
Animal Rescuers for Change, a non profit that gives an actual picture of the status of animal welfare in California.
I find this hard to believe, Shannon has dedicated so much energy into saving animals and even denying when there wasn’t enough room to keep from over crowding, I know many animals adopted from Miranda’s rescue. He was even kind enough to bury my mother’s dog on his own property. I hope this investigation proves he is innocent.
So… I know what’s going on, but in the past my comments get deleted, so I won’t describe the situation. I will simply say that it’s about time and people are going to be horrified when they learn the truth. I know how much people love this guy and will defend him until they learn what’s happened, but isn’t that often the case when a wolf in sheep’s clothing is brought to justice?
Here….are you Moore or Raymond?
Guess again. Been seeing concerns from Miranda’s since I started working in this county, but only recently was informed of all the pieces coming together to validate what many have suspected all along. Where do all the animals go? How can a rescue manager afford a house in Hawaii, nice jewelry, frequent foreign vacations? Why does he jump on every case that gives good publicity? Why are animals always showing up sick for routine spay/neuter and why aren’t they getting medical care sooner? Where do all the donations and relinquishment fees go? Just some things I’ve wondered for years and now have the answer.
Shannon has taken millions of dollars in donations from the Cannabis community, receives 1000’s in grants from the Humboldt Area Foundation,1000’s from his many thrift shops which by the way have never had any pictures of adoptable animals in the windows and 10″s of thousands from charging rescue groups, animal shelters and community members from Humboldt, Mendocino and surrounding areas. He never finished his Canine Castle, appropriate shelter for the dogs. It goes on & on..
Oh I know and at least he’ll go down for the fraud. But it’s not the money part that is really terrible, it’s what he’s done to all those animals… not the animals that are adoptable and on display in his rescue, but the ones that didn’t make the cut, the ones that were just his meal ticket to Hawaii.
FFS…!!!
Check out what can be found out with just a little research…
(See if you can catch the unmistakable coincidence…)
Hint: Shannon Miranda’s Miranda Rescue became a non profit in ➡️1998⬅️, after forming in 1995…
In ➡️1998⬅️ Humboldt County Animal Shelter euthanized a “whopping” 4,272 animals…!!! OMG…!!!
Since 1998 when Shannon Miranda’s Miranda Rescue became a non profit, Humboldt County Animal Shelter annual euthanizations have fallen from 4,272 in 1998 to just 78 in 2023…
You do the math…
Hint 4,194 less animals killed…
It’s no mere coincidence that Shannon Miranda’s non profit MIRANDA’S RESCUE opened in 1998, and the Humboldt County Animal Shelter 1998 kill count of 4,272 has fallen to just 78 as of 2023…!!!
THIS MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED…!!!
GOD BLESS YOU, SHANNON MIRANDA…!!!
YOU HAVE UNQUESTIONABLY SAVED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES, TO BE SURE…!!!
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES THAT HUMBOLDT COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER WOULD SURELY HAVE CALLOUSLY JUST EXTINGUISHED WITHOUT YOU…!!!
AND NOW THEY HAVE THE NERVE AND THE GALL TO ACTUALLY INVESTIGATE YOU…???
INTO THE MIRROR THE HCSAC SHOULD LONG GAZE…!!!
____________________________________________
➡️”How many animals per year are euthanized at the Humboldt County Animal Shelter?”⬅️
➡️Euthanasia numbers at the Humboldt County Animal Shelter have dropped significantly from over 4,000 in 1998 to 78 animals (35 cats and 43 dogs) in 2023⬅️, reflecting a low-kill status focused on treating illness or behavior issues rather than space constraints.
➡️The shelter works with local rescues to maintain these low rates despite high intake.⬅️
Recent Trends:
Euthanasia was at 78 animals in 2023, a slight increase from 45 in 2021.
Historical Context:
➡️In 1998, 4,272 animals were euthanized, a number that has been drastically reduced over the past two decades.⬅️
Policy:
➡️The shelter, managed by the Sheriff’s Office, focuses on adoption and rescue, with euthanasia used as a last resort for animals with severe health or behavioral issues, or when all other options fail.
Factors:
Low-cost spay-neuter services and strong partnerships with rescue groups (like Redwood Pals Rescue) [not formed until 2010] contribute to low euthanasia rates.The shelter, which handles stray and abandoned animals in Humboldt County, typically sees high intake numbers, with over 1,300 animals processed in 2019, yet maintains a low-kill policy.
____________________________________________
➡️When did MIRANDA’S RESCUE in FORTUNA open?⬅️
➡️ Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, a no-kill animal sanctuary, was informally launched by Shannon Miranda in 1995 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1998. ⬅️
It was founded to rescue, rehabilitate, and adopt out various animals, growing from a personal rescue in Ferndale into a large, 50-acre facility in Fortuna.
Key details regarding its origin and operations:
Initial Launch: Started in 1995 with the rescue of 30 cats and dogs.
Incorporation:
Formally incorporated as a non-profit in 1998.
Location:
While it began with animals at his trailer home, it grew to a permanent ranch location on Sandy Prairie Road in Fortuna.
Operations:
As of 2026, the facility works with volunteers to provide shelter and operates through donations and thrift stores.
Note:
As of May 2, 2026, the facility is undergoing a criminal investigation.”
The drop has less to do directly with Miranda’s Rescue and more to do with the shelter getting support from Redwood Pals.
Do me a favor and back that up with some facts…
Redwood Pals did not even exist around here until 2010…
So they had nothing whatsoever to do with it for 12 years of Miranda Rescue’s initial efforts…
I’m calling bullshit on your comment based on this…
Consider that Miranda Rescue has been in operation for at least 14 years longer than Redwood Pals, and, from AI…
“How many animals has Miranda Rescue accepted from the Humboldt County Animal Shelter?”
Based on available reports from 2014, Miranda’s Rescue reported rescuing 866 animals in a single year.
However, there is no specific, publicly available, or officially documented, cumulative number of animals accepted directly from the Humboldt County Animal Shelter.”
_______________________________________
“How many animals has Redwood Pals accepted from the Humboldt County Animal Shelter?”
“Redwood Pals Rescue has rescued “hundreds” of animals, primarily focusing on dogs from the Humboldt County Animal Shelter. Operating since 2012, they frequently take in dogs needing extra care, including recently assisting with multiple litters of puppies and special needs dogs to relieve overcrowding.”
____________________________________
There seems to really be no comparison.
I believe without question that Miranda Rescue has made the much greater contribution to animal rescue from the Humboldt County Animal Shelter compared to Redwood Pals…
Let’s not kid ourselves…
How would you feel if you found out that those animals were still being euthanized, but the difference is that it wasn’t being kept on record, they were getting shot in the head, and the person “rescuing” them was being paid $200 to $500 per animal? Hypothetically speaking of course.
It’s a dog eat dog world out there, and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit…
How much do you suppose the vet charges for euthanization…???
That very same $200-$500…???
By appointment only, of course…
See you in a week or two…
At their location, not yours, and probably won’t even serve you if that pet is not currently one of their regular patients, on record, with a previous exam, and proof of a current rabies vaccination…
Have fun…
95 Shannon worked at a mill in scotia. Pulling green chain. He used to breed Dalmatians, I remember him taking a dog back from a guy who was beating his wife. I hope the charges are mis guided.
This is a great example of AI being horrendously, confidently wrong.
The Humboldt County Animal Shelter (California) did not exist in 1998. It didn’t exist until 2004. Prior to that, Sequoia Humane was “the pound”.
Your AI “friend” is pulling numbers out of it’s robotic ass, mixing up the many Humboldt Counties in other states.
Thank you. I was waiting for the lights to go on.
AI content has to be looked at critically for accuracy ; it’s wrong so often! Because even if the pound did exist in ’98 the inflated number was a red flag right off the bat. 15 dogs euthanized everyday – day after day – 75 dogs every week? ?!? 😆 .
Again, because apparently it didn’t sink in the first time, I will post a screenshot of where AI pulled the information from, which was directly from a Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury Report…
Third paragraph, second sentence, under the heading “Humboldt County Animal Shelter”…
“In 1998, 4,272 animals were euthanized.”
Read ’em and weep…
You are wrong…
The number is correct with HCCGJ corroboration…
Evidence, that is…
I question the accuracy of that report.
Subsequent years are itemized by dogs and cats but 1998 is one big dump.
Let’s stand back and look at it logically. While I generally am a low key fan of your spectrumesque submissions, this one -even with receipts- just doesn’t pass the sniff test.
Think about it. Numbers fell from 75 euthanasias per week to the same # per year?!? You really believe that?
I suspect a typo. (472?)
Or was there some ridiculous outbreak of bird flu where they had to assist in dispatching multiple flocks of hundreds of birds in each?
Imo, there seems to be details missing or flat out transcript error from that report.
My prior pushback is still waiting on moderation but I did dig into this outlandish claim and how that number could possibly be correct as published in the Humboldt County grand jury report, but it is. My bot backed up what your bot claimed.
My apologies.
AI schooled me : the “4,272” Summary: Why It’s Real (and Not a Typo)The 1998 “Pound” Reality: Before modern reforms, California shelters operated on a “Catch and Kill” model. The high number in Humboldt wasn’t an outbreak or a clerical error; it was the result of a 72-hour holding period. After three days, healthy animals were routinely euthanized for space. [1.1]Statewide Context: In 1998, California shelters were euthanizing over 500,000 animals a year. Humboldt’s ~80 animals a week fit the statewide statistical average for the time. [1.1]The Hayden Act Shift: The 2023-2024 Grand Jury used the 1998 data as a “before and after” benchmark because that was the year California passed SB 1785 (the Hayden Act), which legally mandated that shelters prioritize adoption and treatment over euthanasia. [1.1]Where the Numbers Went: The drop to 78 animals in 2021 isn’t because fewer pets exist; it’s because the county shelter stopped accepting “owner surrenders” and began transferring “unadoptable” animals to private rescues. [1.1]The Dark Side of “No-Kill”: The current Major Crimes investigation into Miranda’s Rescue (the primary local rescue partner) suggests that some of those animals may have just moved from a public “kill” facility to a private one with even less oversight. 😳
Basically, the 1998 number is the documented peak of a discarded era, and the 2024 numbers are only low because the county now “outsources” its most difficult animals to private groups.
This…!!!⬆️
Are you absolutely sure that prior to it’s current location, that the Humboldt County Animal Shelter wasn’t located in the vicinity of King Salmon and Humboldt Hill…???
I lived in King Salmon in the early eighties, and I have a slightly vague recollection of the sheriff’s animal control vehicles frequenting that location, as I waited for the bus to CR, long before the new facility on Lycoming way was constructed…
But I could be misremembering…
But I’m pretty sure that was the Humboldt County dog pound back then…
In the early 1980s, the facility was situated at 2100 Tooby Road, which is right in that King Salmon/Humboldt Hill vicinity. It was a smaller, older facility that served the county for decades.
I also remember seeing it and had driven by it numerous times. It was on the east side of 101. It was kind of set back with a parking lot out front as I recall. There was a bus stop near there.
Prior to the establishment in 2004ish of their current McKinleyville location, Humboldt County contracted with Sequoia Humane Society on Loma near Humboldt Hill…
“Prior to 2004 Who did Humboldt County contract with for animal shelter?
Prior to July 1, 2004, Humboldt County contracted with the Sequoia Humane Society (SHS) to provide animal shelter services.
Contractual History:
The County decided to build and operate its own animal care facility after finding the contract with the Sequoia Humane Society to be very expensive and provided on a “take it or leave it” basis.
Transition:
The County assumed responsibility for animal shelter services on July 1, 2004.
The New Facility:
Following the termination of the contract with SHS, the 13,000-square-foot Humboldt County Animal Shelter was opened in 2004 to house stray domesticated animals.
The Sequoia Humane Society was noted to be a private non-profit organization, as mentioned in the 2004-2005 Humboldt County Grand Jury Report.
Interesting how everyone refuses to believe Miranda did anything wrong. Seems to me when another citizen by the name of Christe was accused, the community publicy shamed him and called for prosecution. What could be the difference between go old home town Christie and Miranda? Any guesses? And the comment about “We don’t need any witch hunts in Humboldt.? Don’t we have one almost every weekend?
Everyone in the county has driven by Christie’s ranch in the Arcata bottoms and seen the poor conditions of the animals. Many people have gone to Miranda’s and seen the animals in good-to-fair condition. That’s the difference.
Stopping by and seeing a store front, making purchases does not amount to knowing how the business is run.
How about all these people that support Miranda’s rescue start supporting the Humboldt county animal shelter? Maybe that is a good answer and solution to help the animals?
The Humboldt County Animal Shelter doesn’t accept surrendered animals…
That is only a good answer if you want to help them to euthanize animals…
BS. They match and adopt animals with loving families.
I said…
“The Humboldt County Animal Shelter doesn’t accept surrendered animals…”
So, “They” don’t “match” “and”/or “adopt” surrendered “animals with loving families”, because they don’t even accept surrendered animals…
Understand…???
This is directly from the Humboldt County Animal Shelter website…
“Due to the high population of these types of unwanted animals, the shelter does not typically take in owner surrenders.”
https://humboldtgov.org/2658/Animal-Shelter
Please back up your statements with evidence…
I personally know of someone who luckily got a dog that was surrendered (although the owner had said it was a stray and he had found it) the animal Shelter got in touch with the breeder and the breeder made sure someone I know got that dog and saved it. Is there evidence? no one is going to admit that they dumped their own dog because then it would be considered a surrender and HCAS wouldn’t take it. The owner did get caught doing this. The breeder confirmed the person who “found it as a stray” was the person who bought it from the breeder. HCAS made sure that owner signed off on the adoption and let the breeder know so they could place it with the person who wanted it. Very happy ending though. Not everything is black-and-white.
If they had the funding Miranda’s/Shannon has had then they could afford to take surrendered animals as many other better funded County Shelters do and with far more transparency and oversight, standards and experience; especially if we start participating in government instead of expecting it to operate on fumes and neglect.
Ok, let me spell it out for you since it’s not sinking in. Hundreds of animals at Miranda’s rescue were being killed instead of adopted out. He takes them in, for $500 each, then if the animal isn’t easily adoptable or sick, they get shot in the head and buried. The only animals that make it through that place are either easily adoptable or an animal that makes him look like a savior on social media.
So, your whole “it’s better than being euthanized” idea is incorrect, because they are still being euthanized, just in a more effed up way.
I would love to see your face when the evidence is released.
The Fortuna Police Department and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department needs to be held accountable for failing to close him down. Former 4th in Command of HCSD, and former Director of the Animal Shelter, Lt. Steve Knight, attempted to close Shannon down and did not get the support from former DA, Paul Gallegos.
Well hopefully this time there is enough evidence and public pressure to compel our DA to pursue charges.
Have been to Miranda’s many times over the years. Animals looked healthy and happy. People are allowed to come and spend time and show the animals some love. I know Shannon works long days and hours. Miranda’s doesn’t turn any animals away. Rumor is a neighbor, “ Karen” moved in next door to Miranda’s Rescue and then complains about everything. Similar to buying a house in McKinleyville in the flight zone and after escrow closes, complain about the airplanes flying over landing at the airport. Shannon is well liked in the community. I believe alot of people are shocked reading this in social media. Let’s wait for the “facts” to come out before passing judgement.
The animals there look healthy and happy because the defective/sick ones they took in were promptly euthanized. They only the keep the animals that are adoptable. This is because they make money when they take an animal in and they again make money when they adopt it out. If they kill the defective animals, then they make money and the place looks like it is full of healthy happy animals. If a sick animal can provide good social media publicity, then they do actually get extra care… it’s all about image. I passed my judgement years ago, based on first hand experience, and I’m so glad that “Karen” took matters into their own hands because something is finally being done since they got the evidence to prove what many have suspected for years.
You would have a vendetta too if you cared about animals and knew what horrible things this guy has done, all while enjoying a lavish lifestyle obtained from fraud and animal abuse.
The only direct knowledge I’ve had of Miranda’s has been when a man in the neighborhood “donated” a basically crippled horse to them. Someone had given that horse to him crippled. So there were at least two people riding an animal that should never have been ridden at all. Maybe more. But clearly way too many people will not euthanize an animal but will also not give it the care it needs to be even minimally comfortable. It’s unlikely that that poor horse was passed on again.
That is a hard problem the country shelter refuses much of the time. But that doesn’t mean the person euthanizing is the villain. It’s the people who don’t accept the final kindness of bearing the guilt and misery of making that choice who are the villains.
Bearing the guilt and misery of euthanasia is truly a kindness and heavy burden on the soul. However, that is not what I’m referring to. I’m talking about fraud and animal abuse via the intake of animal with the intent to immediately destroy it inhumanely while simultaneously profiting from the animal and lying about the outcome.
I have rescued and I foster, just for the record a majority of Rescues charge a surrender fee, they also charge adoption Fee, they could not operate without that. Rescues spay/neuter, vaccines/wormers, any medical issues needing to be done. Just like shelters, no matter how much you do not want to euthanize sometimes it’s necessary. You want to blame Rescues or Shelters but most people rather bitch and moan and not raise a hand to help. I am sure some of you have probably either dumped a pet at a shelter, a rescue or on the side of the road, or know people who have. This is not an easy task but let the facts speak the truth and not gossip.
Could there perhaps be an audit of their financial book keeping if that is what is in question? Maybe a matching up with the animals.
Unfortunately that is one of the issues. There is no financial book keeping, and there is no record of where these animals go to. With Miranda’s taking in hundreds of dogs each year, there is no record of where the majority go. They just…disappear. This has been reported in the past, but unfortunately, has not been taken seriously.
Now there is enough evidence to do a serious investigation as the issues are much deeper than bad book keeping..
There is no such thing as “no financial book keeping” in a non-profit. No one keeps their non-profit status without filing tax returns if they have even minimal banking. Banks report all sorts of stuff to IRS.
If you mean there is no record of which animals went where, that is something different. I have no idea whether there is any such records.
He’s on Charity Navagator but with a low rating because of not complying with their standards. But what info they have is from tax returns only.
https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/680417389
I can’t imagine how one could make a living doing what he does. You’d have to adopt out 2-3 animals a day just to get by.
my guess is there’s some truth in what’s going on but not as horrible as the Facebook slander page claims
There a related second hand shop or used to be. I haven’t been that way in quite awhile.
Miranda Rescue operates 4 thrift stores.. Fortuna, Eureka, McKinleyville. Arcata.
i don’t believe this. i’ve known shannon for decades. this is like accusing santa claus of child abuse.
I have known Shannon since he was a young boy, He would come over and play with our cats & dogs and show a keen interest in animals and there well-being. When he started a shelter it was not a surprise to us knowing how he has always loved and rescued animals since a young age. I feel this is one of those ” not as reported ” issues. Hang tough Shannon.
I’ve known Shannon for 18 years, when I adopted the first of three large breed dogs from him over the years. I want to go on record, (for whatever that is worth other than that my very soul demands it), right here in the midst of all this ugliness, as someone who believes strongly in this man’s goodness.
How many people here volunteered to walk rescue dogs?
Spouse & I did it for months pre-covid, stopped when the dog I walked was adopted out. I happened to be there when the adoptee family picked him up and it was a bittersweet moment. I asked later where he went, but they said they protect the privacy of the new owners, only said it was somewhere in Eureka.
But you helped that dog immensely, and that’s probably going to have to be your best memory of him. All those walks with his tongue hanging out, all smiles.
Oh – that is bitter sweet. Thank you for walking the dogs 🙂
This smells of fabricated slander. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about Miranda rescue and it has provided a wonderful service for our community and a multitude of ways. I don’t think it’s appropriate to be providing media coverage about something like this until there’s evidence to prove one way or the other it’s basically pre-punishment to the accused. I’ve seen this in local media for decades it’s much too small of a community to be reporting allegations of this kind without serious evidence to back it up. It’s extremely damaging if the person is innocent.
So you suggest that when the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department puts out a press release, we cover it up and hide it….? I’m unclear on how you think hiding that an investigation is ongoing fits the job of the media.
He’s entitled to his opinion, isn’t he…???
Freedom of speech, and all…
Wouldn’t you agree with him that…
…”It’s extremely damaging if the person is innocent.”…???
I sure would…!!!
I get it…
How is that kind of concern somehow so unworthy of careful consideration…???
If unsubstantiated, what then…???
How is it mitigated…???
By shelving it…???
That ain’t gonna work…
He’s got a valid point which is truly merited…
One which I can understand…
The damage is done…
Is that inconsequential…???
For the media, it sure is…
For the accused, it’s definitely not, even if they’re innocent…
They are scarred..
Should that really be so callously and cavalierly overlooked and disregarded, let alone completely dismissed without even blinking…???
What is wrong with you? You are really obsessed. Are you him, his spouse, or a family member?
That’s a lot of “you” statements…
Are you as proficient with your self assessment, as you are prolific with your assessment of others…???
I am confused, are saying that Reporters should no write about investigations announced by their Departments?
People under investigations will, likely, have their day in Court. The results will, likely, be published too.
I had a negative interaction while walking my dog he slowed and kept pace with me. I was scared. I didn’t know him until confirmed later by his neighbor. He was scolding me about my dog so close to the road. He was very intimidating in his big wyt truck and I’m a deaf/ disabled woman. He acted like a real bully and I was alone.
Unless you have been in the animal rescue community most of you are clueless about Shannon’s conduct, his actions, how he operates. There has been many red flags over the past 2 decades. Those who brought serious issues to light have been ignored, targeted, slandered, and even maliciously prosecuted. There has been no oversight by the Fortuna City Police Department. Shannon has profited by pulling animals out of shelters through out California. He has profited by telling people that he is a sanctuary for animals charging up $500 for each animal. Rescue groups out of the county have paid him to take hard to adopt dogs. Shannon has refused to tell what happened to the dogs. There has been no transparency, no documentation requirements showing outcomes for the public to see. According to his 2019 990 Tax filing he has received over $46,000 for animal control from Fortuna. This is unacceptable. And there is so much more that most of the public is completely unaware of.
“Those who brought serious issues to light have been…”…
…”…targeted, slandered, and even maliciously prosecuted.”…
-Dragonfly-
____________________________________________
Talk about Hypocritical Projection…
Are you missing the plentiful irony…???
https://allabouttheanimalsne.wixsite.com/aaarescuenetwork/mirandas
Ask AI
“Does the media take the Hippocratic Oath?”
____________________________________________
“No, the media does not take the Hippocratic Oath…”
-AI Overview-
Thank you for this link. I am assuming the information is factual. I doubt anyone would put this out there & risk a slander lawsuit??
It is horrific information. If the case makes it to Court, I imagine, Miranda Rescue would have to either find a nee operator or close. What a shame.
Those poor dogs. Some people are the worse.
”Biases that traps us: 1. Stereo type 2. Similar to me 3. Halo effect 4. Reputation bias: If they are doing it then it must be OK 5. Bond bias 6. Confirmation bias”
Lack of transparency of Shannon’s operation is a problem no matter if he is operating correctly or not.
This situation falls under just about all the biases above. 1. Rescuers don’t harm who they rescue 2. “I went to school with Shannon.” “I adopted an animal from Shannon” 3. Shannon is a hero. 4. So many people like Shannon…notice that reputation is often based on proximity and stereotype not on really knowing other people well or even paying attention 5. Bonding with Shannon over the idea of rescue and caring for animals 6. It is a good rescue, has to be else what would we do? Also those who donated really gonna have some confirmation bias grief if allegations are real.
We are not computers we must operate often on trust and quick judgement HOWEVER denying that we do so is a problem because it means no chance to, when warranted, of check and balance and course-correction. Takes courage and humility to consider we put someone on a pedestal because we didn’t want to deal with the larger issues.
We dont’ want to face harsh realities especially if we have already been so shielded from them we have not developed skills to deal with them; a self perpetuating cycle. We could mitigate unnecessary suffering better by facing the realities rather than creating “Heroes” and sweeping under their magic carpet all our sadness and fear as we do with human unhoused and pets and foster system etc. all while too many feel entitled to binge watchshows and video games and read 4 murder mystery novels a month while neglecting civic duty; time to participate in community and government or watch passively as entropy takes over. Life isn’t fair which is why we must work to be. It is not a dog eat dog world – starving dogs do not eat other dogs. Humans however…..
People just do not want to properly fund a County Shelter and love the word “Rescue” and having a hero. More funding for County Shelters is needed and for Animal Control both of which have more transparency, training and collective experience/expertise ESPECIALLY if citizens start participating in government and stop expecting it to run magically on fumes and in isolation/neglect.
Would be nice if low income seniors and families might be supported to have a pet instead of warehousing them in “Rescues”. NYT recently reported the cost of pet ownership (might have been dogs specifically..just saw title don’t have subscription) has gone up 60% in ten years and meanwhile everyone so up in arms and shocked when people can’t afford to keep their beloved pet without thinking of the pain of the people who must do so.
Housing problems are an issue too. A Washington County Epidemiologist studied completed suicide files and found 25% of completed suicides (underreported because not all suicide deaths are provable to be such and also attempts including ones in causing lifelong injury) were by people who had an eviction notice in last two weeks and another 20 something percent had recently given up their beloved pet to a shelter.
Even if Shannon is guilty we as a community are ultimately also responsible when we sit by and think that a vote or even a charitable donation is enough to deal with community health issues, enough to have the sustained comprehensive infrastructure required vs enabling “Heroes” and turning a blind eye when they cannot manage then demonizing them (especially when lavish lifestyles enjoyed that anger is justified nonetheless we enabled them); happens also with unhoused people, the foster system – anything that we’d rather not deal with and our privileges enable our denial of.
As another commenter mentioned the veterinarian charges hundreds to put your pet to sleep and then there is the cremation cost and need to have had a prior annual visit with that veterinarian.
NYT recently reported cost of pet (or was it dog ownership..just saw title don’t have subscriptions o has increased 60% in 10 years so what happens to people who 5 years ago or 9 years ago got a pet? What if they had to relocate unexpectedly for work? Unexpected medical expenses for them or their family? Etc. Etc.
It is for many a nightmare trying to care for a pets these days …people are just starting to realize it AFTER getting a pet; it takes time to feel the costs build up and increase just like for a frog in slowly warming water. In another comment I mention the research regarding suicides.
Hey Kym, where are the updates? How come Times Standard put one out but you didn’t?
Because we are not a large corporation with multiple employees and people don’t support local news.
Shelters all over need to be more vigilant and do stricter background checks for the people and organizations they hand their animals to. I dont like euthanasia but if an animal is going to end up being abused then perhaps its better to just make those difficult decisions