A "no-kill" animal shelter in California has been found to be the site of a shocking discovery, with dozens of dog carcasses found bearing signs of gunshot wounds.

According to U.S. media outlets including The New York Times (NYT) on June 26 (local time), the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office announced that a multi-day search of the Miranda Animal Rescue property in Fortuna led to the discovery of 117 dog carcasses, 21 dog skulls, and hundreds of bone fragments.

The office also reported that among 70 carcasses X-rayed at the scene, a significant number showed traces suspected to be bullet fragments.

In a barn at the shelter, authorities identified an area where the dogs were believed to have been killed, along with approximately 600 dog collars.

The Sheriff's Office explained that while severely decomposed dog carcasses were found in a field outside the shelter, their condition was so poor that they decided to document their locations and leave them buried in place.

The investigation began after the whereabouts of approximately 730 animals entrusted to the shelter since January 2025 could not be accounted for.

Authorities are currently investigating whether the shelter's operations involved animal cruelty as well as fraud against pet owners.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal stated, "This is just the beginning," adding, "We have a massive amount of data to process, witnesses to interview, and evidence to analyze."

Shannon Miranda, the founder of the shelter, stated in a post on the shelter's website on June 18 that there were instances where dogs were euthanized due to behavioral issues that posed a threat to the safety of staff, volunteers, and other animals.

However, she claimed, "Allegations raised without a full understanding of the context could harm not only my reputation but also the future of a shelter that has served the community for decades."

The case came to light following a tip from animal rights activist Jennifer Raymond.

After hearing rumors of animal abuse at the shelter, Raymond purchased property near the facility last year to monitor activity. She became suspicious after observing large piles of dirt appearing shortly after excavators were seen entering and exiting the site.

In April, she and another activist trespassed onto the shelter property, unearthed eight dog carcasses with gunshot wounds to the head, and reported the findings to the sheriff.

Following this, the sheriff obtained a search warrant and conducted an extensive search using ground-penetrating radar to locate burial sites.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)