Remains of More Than 100 Dogs Found at a Humboldt County Animal Rescue

A monthslong investigation into a Northern California animal rescue — sparked by a neighbor who bought the property next door to keep watch — culminated last week in the excavation of more than 100 dogs' remains, as state and federal agencies probe what became of hundreds of animals sent there from shelters across the state.

Arman Petrosyan June 30, 2026 at 11:48 AM

It began with a neighbor's suspicions and a property bought specifically to watch what was happening next door. It has grown into one of the largest animal-welfare investigations in recent Northern California memory.

What investigators found

Over three days beginning June 23, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office — working with the FBI, the California Attorney General's Office, the USDA and forensic veterinarians from Cal Poly Humboldt — excavated the property of Miranda's Rescue near Fortuna, Lost Coast Outpost reported. Investigators said they recovered 117 intact canine remains from two sites, along with 21 additional skulls, hundreds of loose bones and several microchips. In a barn, they reported finding more than 600 dog collars. "This investigation is just getting started," Sheriff William Honsal said. No criminal charges have been filed, and the rescue has denied wrongdoing.

A neighbor's watch

The case traces to Jennifer Raymond, a longtime Humboldt County animal-welfare advocate who, by her own account, bought the adjacent property — a five-acre parcel with an 1868 Victorian — to keep an eye on the rescue, which had taken in hundreds of dogs transferred from shelters around California. Raymond told local outlets she dug up a buried dog in April 2025 and, over the following weeks, exhumed several more before bringing the remains to the sheriff, prompting a search warrant. The Herald is recounting her account as exactly that — an account that helped trigger the official investigation now underway.

Hundreds of dogs unaccounted for

The scale is what has alarmed investigators. According to the Humboldt County government, more than 900 dogs were transferred to Miranda's Rescue from shelters and owners since 2020; roughly 100 were adopted out and about 70 were found alive on the property — leaving hundreds unaccounted for, a gap authorities are still working to explain. The case has been referred to the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office, NBC Bay Area reported.

What comes next

Investigators cautioned that the work is far from over: remains must be examined, microchips traced, witnesses interviewed and records reviewed before prosecutors decide whether to bring charges. The rescue's operator has not been charged with any crime, and the presumption of innocence applies. For the shelters across California that sent animals to Fortuna believing they were bound for a sanctuary, and for the people who once adopted from or donated to the rescue, the central question now rests with the forensic teams sifting the Humboldt soil: what happened to the dogs.