FORTUNA, Calif. (AP) 鈥� The remains of at least 117 dogs were found on the grounds of a California 鈥渘o-kill鈥� animal shelter, many of them with gunshot wounds, authorities said.
The Humboldt County Sheriff鈥檚 Office said Friday that it also discovered 21 canine skulls, hundreds of bones and other remains during searches at Miranda鈥檚 Rescue Animal Sanctuary, a 50-acre (20-hectare) facility in Fortuna, California.
Investigators combing the site on Thursday located an area in a barn where they believe dogs were likely killed, the sheriff鈥檚 office said. More than 600 dog collars were found nearby, the office said.
Sheriff William Honsal called it a 鈥渉orrific scene.鈥� No charges have been filed.
A message seeking comment was left for the shelter鈥檚 founder, Shannon Miranda.
In a statement posted to the shelter鈥檚 website on June 18, Miranda said that recent media coverage and online commentary 鈥渉ave presented an incomplete and, in some cases, inaccurate picture of our work.鈥�
鈥淎t Miranda鈥檚 Rescue, our mission is to save as many animals as we safely can鈥攁lways balancing compassion for animals with our responsibility to protect families, children, other pets, and the public,鈥� Miranda wrote.
The sheriff鈥檚 office said it started investigating the shelter after receiving 鈥渃redible information鈥� in April 鈥渞egarding allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy.鈥�
Miranda鈥檚 Rescue collects fees from shelter transfers, as well as donations that it says helps cover the costs of food, housing, veterinary care, medications, facility expenses and staffing.
An affidavit from an earlier search of the property said that the sheriff鈥檚 office was tipped off by a pair of animal advocates, one of whom owns property adjoining the shelter and used trail cameras to monitor activity near an alleged burial site.
The advocates later went onto shelter property and dug up dog remains, the affidavit said.
鈥淭his investigation is just getting started,鈥� Honsal said in a statement. 鈥淭here is a tremendous amount of data to process, witnesses to interview, and evidence to examine.鈥�
Investigators using ground-penetrating radar found 117 intact remains in various stages of decomposition buried in an open field, the sheriff鈥檚 office said.
They X-rayed 70 of the remains on site and found evidence of bullet fragments in many of them. The cause of death for many of those animals appeared to be gunshot wounds, the sheriff鈥檚 office said.
Investigators also found additional remains in advanced stages of decomposition, the sheriff鈥檚 office said.
The sheriff鈥檚 office said hundreds of dogs were transferred or turned over to Miranda鈥檚 Rescue by private citizens and animal shelters.
In his statement, Miranda said, 鈥淢iranda鈥檚 Rescue is a no-kill rescue. We do not euthanize animals simply to make space.鈥�
However, Miranda wrote, 鈥漷here are rare circumstances in which euthanasia may be necessary 鈥� when an animal is suffering from a terminal condition or when it poses a serious, ongoing danger to people or other animals.鈥�
鈥淚n those situations, we make the most humane and responsible decision we can, always with public safety and animal welfare in mind.鈥�
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