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Fewer people are sleeping in Eureka’s homeless shelters than there were two years ago, according to a recent survey performed by the Eureka Police Department’s Community Safety Engagement Team (CSET), Uplift Eureka and Crisis Alternative Response Eureka (CARE).

At last night’s Eureka City Council meeting, EPD Commander Leonard La France presented the findings of the 2026 Homeless Survey, a biennial poll conducted between March 8 and April 4 that asks unhoused residents about their housing and employment status, substance abuse history and struggles with mental illness to help improve the city’s homeless outreach services. This year’s survey reached 239 people, up from 221 in 2024.

When asked, “Where did you sleep last night?” 26% of respondents said they had slept at a local shelter — a 20% drop from 2024. “This is a giant drop for shelters,” La France said, referring to the Eureka Rescue Mission and Betty Chinn’s Blue Angel Village. “We dropped from about 46% to 26%, [which is] a pretty big drop, and I’m not sure why.”

The survey also found that fewer people are sleeping in greenbelt encampments, and are instead sleeping in doorways and alleyways. The number of people sleeping in vehicles is about the same as it was in 2024. 

Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez asked why the number of people sleeping in shelters had fallen so drastically. “Is [it] because people are getting into permanent or maybe some sort of transitional housing?” he asked.

There are a few factors at play, said EPD Sergeant and CSET Supervisor Brian Ross. For one, most surveys were conducted during Free Meal at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining facility rather than at local homeless shelters. “It felt like this year I went in there a few times and I couldn’t get a lot of people interested,” he said.

In some cases, Ross said, people may not be staying at a shelter because they’ve been kicked out for bad behavior. 

“There’s only so many options, so once something bad does happen to them, they’re kind of stuck on the street,” he said. “In my personal opinion, it seems like the drug use is the issue. If you go in [the shelter], you can’t smoke weed, you can’t use drugs, and they can’t live the lifestyle they want to live when they’re outside of the shelter.”

Ross added that fewer people are camping out in the city’s greenbelts and are instead sleeping on the street near Free Meal “because they feel safe there.”

“It’s lighted, there are services there, they feel safe, people can see them, and so that’s definitely a struggle,” he said. “They don’t have anywhere else to go, so they get up in the morning there, and they can get food and services. … [If] you go out into the bushes of the trail, you’re kind of on your own out there. There’s no lights, there’s no people watching you, and some people don’t feel safe.”

CARE Managing Mental Health Clinician Jacob Rosen noted that the city has expanded both transitional and permanent supportive housing facilities since the last survey was conducted in 2024, which could explain why fewer people are sleeping in shelters. 

“I don’t know that that would explain all of the differences that we’re seeing, but I would expect that that explains a significant portion of it in those changes in the data,” Rosen said. “I mean, Bayside Village was able to pull a number of people in who had been homeless for very long periods of time. … That made a huge impact.”

The survey also found that the vast majority of respondents were either born and raised in Humboldt County or had lived here for 20-plus years. “We always hear stories about people being bused in from San Francisco and other areas,” he said. “Not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the most part that’s not true.”

Survey respondents were also asked how they became homeless. The majority of respondents said they were homeless because of a “family situation,” while others said they were evicted or had lost their jobs.

Earlier in the discussion, La France acknowledged that there is a “margin of error” in the survey results, given that it is self-reported. Still, he felt the city’s survey provided a more accurate count of the city’s unhoused population than the Point-In-Time (PIT) Count, a federally mandated biennial survey conducted by county staff and volunteers on a single day in January.

In 2022, for example, the city identified 249 unhoused residents in Eureka. The PIT Count’s estimate for Eureka was 498. 

La France | Screenshot

“[There is] a giant difference in those numbers,” La France said. “What’s important to know is that the PIT Count has a correlation to getting money from the government. Our homeless survey has nothing to do with [that]; there’s no money connected to it. … I’m not a fan of [the PIT Count], but they just get a general guesstimation of how many of us are in our community.”

Even if their numbers differ, the city still works closely with county staff to help get people off the streets and into housing. Rosen highlighted the success of CARE Court, a voluntary court-based treatment program for adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychotic disorders. While CARE Court has failed to live up to expectations in most California counties, the program has worked remarkably well in Humboldt.

“The county has done a really great job with their CARE Court program, and I think our teams have done an excellent job,” Rosen said, adding that Gov. Gavin Newsom recently named the county a CARE Champion. “Our collaboration and networking across the city and the county level … has really made the Humboldt County system stand out to the point where there have been other agencies from large cities, such as San Diego, that have reached out to try and learn more about what is being done here, so that they can try to kind of codify and reimplement it.”

Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach asked what the county is doing to achieve such remarkable results. 

“I think we’re small enough to be able to gather consensus quickly about being creative, but large enough to have the resources to do it,” Rosen said. “Due to the level of interconnectedness with the various agencies involved and the kind of people who are in the key positions to do that networking, combined with the [ability] to be able to think creatively … we’ve been able to fix some of the gaps and maybe tear down some of the silos that other counties might be facing.”

La France added that CSET was built on the same principle of “thinking outside of the box” and cutting through the “red tape” wherever possible to strengthen programs and get people into housing.

“We really, really try to remove red tape and bureaucracy through the process, which really fails people who are in need,” he said. “If I can get from point A to point Z in 15 minutes, that’s a giant win. If it takes me three weeks, that’s a fail, and that’s a system fail. Our job is to make the system better and make it work for us.”

The council did not take any action on the presentation.

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What else happened at last night’s meeting?

The council unanimously approved the christening of Duane Flatmo Alley, a one-block stretch running behind Redwood Capital Bank and the Arkley Center, between F and G streets, and parallel to Fourth and Fifth. The proposal was submitted by Councilmember Kati Moulton on behalf of Flatmo’s wife, Micki.

Hey! That’s Duane Flatmo! | Screenshot

“[Flatmo’s] work can be seen in every corner of our community, from the six-story dancer overlooking the center of town, to his memorable kinetic sculptures — floating or sometimes not floating across the Humboldt Bay — to local product and event artwork you can find in most of our closets, refrigerators, and garden sheds,” Moulton said. “Flatmo’s style is as unique and recognizable as the man himself. It has become a part of the landscape, part of the local vibe. It’s a little gritty and pretty weird, but playful and approachable, like Duane.”

After singing Flatmo’s praises, the council approved the new alley name in a 5-0 vote.

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The city council also unanimously approved a resolution opposing offshore oil drilling and deep-sea mining. 

If you recall, the council had previously asked staff to draft an ordinance that would prevent the federal government and oil developers from using onshore support facilities in Eureka. After a bit of research, the city’s legal team realized an ordinance would require substantial changes to the Local Coastal Program and advised the council to pass a resolution opposing offshore drilling instead. 

The resolution passed in a 5-0 vote. Read it here.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On May 19, 2026, at approximately 5:20 p.m., a Patrol Officer with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) observed an individual riding a bicycle in the 1100 block of E Street. The officer recognized the individual as Troy Brinson, who was known to have multiple felony warrants for his arrest.

When the officer attempted to make contact, Brinson abandoned his bicycle and fled on foot. The officer briefly lost sight of him, and additional officers responded to assist with the search after Brinson was believed to be hiding in nearby residential yards.

During the search, an officer located Brinson near 14th Street and Williams Street. Brinson again fled on foot into residential yards. Officers established a perimeter and ultimately located Brinson in the backyard of a residence in the 200 block of 15th Street, where he was taken into custody without further incident.

Following his arrest, Brinson was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was booked into jail on his outstanding warrants and the following additional charges:

• PC 148(a)(1) – Resisting, obstructing, or delaying a peace officer
• HS 11377(a) – Possession of methamphetamine
• HS 11364(a) – Possession of drug paraphernalia
• PC 1203.2(a) – Probation violation
• PC 602.5(b) – Aggravated trespassing

The Eureka Police Department would like to thank the community members who witnessed the pursuit and called in with information that assisted officers in the apprehension of Brinson. This incident serves as an important reminder: if you see something, say something. Timely information from the public can play a critical role in helping keep our community safe.

Press release from the District Attorney’s Office:

Today, Judge Kaleb Cockrum sentenced Steve Eliott Boudreaux (38) of Arcata, to serve 125 years to life in prison after being convicted of multiple child sexual abuse crimes against multiple victims.

Boudreaux sexually molested two young girls in his home. His crimes began in 2011 with one of his victims, Doe 1, when she was only six years old. During the summer of 2023, now a young adult, Doe 1 bravely reported Boudreaux’s crimes to the Arcata Police Department. During the thorough investigation, a second victim, Doe 2, came forward.

Boudreaux was arrested in January 2024, and a jury trial commenced 6 months later. The jury convicted Boudreaux for child sexual molestation of Doe 2, but they were unable to reach unanimous verdicts for crimes against Doe 1. In January 2025, the case was tried again, however, the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict with 11 of 12 jurors in favor of guilt. In November 2025, Senior Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm took the case to trial a third time and Boudreaux was convicted of his crimes against Doe 1.

During each trial, the jurors heard testimony from the victims, who courageously faced their abuser in open court and recounted deeply traumatic experiences. Evidence from Boudreaux’s cell phone, obtained in 2025 by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, revealed Boudreaux searching for pornographic material demonstrating a sexual interest in incest.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm with assistance from District Attorney Investigator Ryan Hill, and District Attorney Victim Witness Advocate Caitlyn LaHaie. The North Coast Rape Crisis Team provided support to the victims in this case. Local attorney Casey Russo defended Boudreaux.

District Attorney Stacey Eads stated, “Through the extraordinary courage, perseverance, and dedication to the truth of these young women — even after enduring the trauma of abuse and the difficulty testifying — Boudreaux is now held accountable and will spend his remaining years where he belongs.”

Press release from Cypress Grove:

Arcata — Cypress Grove today announced plans to transition away from company-owned dairy operations following a strategic review of the long-term sustainability of commercial goat dairying in Humboldt County.

The decision reflects a renewed focus on Cypress Grove’s core expertise: crafting world-class goat cheese.

Importantly, the transition does not change the company’s commitment to producing its own cheeses, maintaining product quality, or preserving the authenticity that has defined the Cypress Grove brand for more than four decades.

“When Mary Keehn founded Cypress Grove in 1983, she built the company as a cheesemaker — not as a dairy operator,” said Pamela Dressler, President & Managing Director. “In fact, for most of the company’s 43-year history, we’ve been producing award-winning cheese without owning and operating a commercial goat dairy.”

Cypress Grove established its dairy operation in 2011 during a period of significant uncertainty within the regional goat milk supply chain. At the time, reliable access to high-quality goat milk had become increasingly constrained as local dairies exited the industry, and regional infrastructure weakened. Building a company-owned dairy was viewed as a necessary investment to help secure milk supply and support future growth.

Over the next 15 years, the dairy operation accomplished many of the objectives it was designed to achieve:

• Established and maintained a disease-free herd
• Developed nationally respected genetics and herd management programs
• Maintained Humane Certification status for over 10 years
• Built strong partnerships with universities and agricultural researchers
• Contributed knowledge and best practices to the broader goat dairy industry
• Expanded from 150 doelings to more than 1,500 animals

The company emphasized that the decision to close the dairy was not driven by operational shortcomings, but rather by the long-term structural economics of commercial goat dairying in Humboldt County.

“Operating a commercial dairy in this region comes with significant structural challenges, including feed transportation costs, infrastructure demands, labor intensity, and operational risk,” said Dressler. “Despite years of investment and operational improvements, we no longer see a sustainable path forward in this specific structure and location.”

The company also noted that the business landscape has evolved considerably since the dairy was established. Through the broader Emmi network Cypress Grove now has access to one of the most established goat milk networks in the United States.

“If this milk network had existed in 2011, we likely never would have built our own dairy,” said Dressler. “The original purpose of the dairy was to secure milk supply during a very different moment in the industry. Today, we can confidently source high-quality milk through a broader and more resilient network while focusing our energy and investment on cheesemaking innovation and growth.”

Cypress Grove underscored that the company will continue producing its cheeses in Humboldt County with the same commitment to craftsmanship, consistency, and quality that has defined the brand for decades.

“This transition strengthens our ability to remain focused on what we do exceptionally well,” said Dressler “Our identity has always been rooted in cheesemaking. That remains unchanged.”

The company expressed deep gratitude to the dairy employees, agricultural partners, researchers, and local community members who contributed to the success of the dairy over the past 15 years.

“We are incredibly proud of the dairy team and what they built,” said Dressler “Their work advanced animal stewardship, herd health, and operational excellence in meaningful ways. This decision does not diminish those accomplishments.”

As Cypress Grove moves forward, the company remains committed to investing in premium cheesemaking, sustainable growth, and the continued advancement of the American goat cheese category.

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Two candidates who want to help lead Humboldt County as Fifth District Supervisor fielded questions from voters in a forum Tuesday night hosted by the League of Women Voters of Humboldt County.

Though the two candidates seemed to mostly agree on policy positions they were asked about, Mary Burke emphasized her management and financial experience in McKinleyville government and a local nonprofit, while Evan Schwartz leaned into his everyman status and business experience.

The Fifth District Supervisor represents a wide geographic stretch of the northern and eastern communities of Humboldt County with roughly 28,000 residents — including McKinleyville, Trinidad, Orick, Hoopa, Willow Creek and Weitchpec.

Voters in the district will decide between the two on the June 2 ballot. 

Both candidates said their number one priority, if elected, is economic development. With two weeks out from election day, they made their case for the position at the televised event.

Thoughts on McKinleyville projects

Burke and Schwartz each live in McKinleyville, which hosts over half of the population of the district, and addressed questions submitted to the League to weigh in on a handful of proposed developments in the unincorporated community.

On the topic of a proposed Amazon “last-mile” distribution warehouse near the Humboldt County Airport, each lamented the company but pointed out the warehouse falls within the intended use of the land, zoning wise. They each spoke in support for a community benefits agreement with Amazon.

When asked about the Humboldt Commons project, a nonprofit senior living community planned on 14.6 acres south of Hiller Road, they both hailed it, with Burke saying “it’s the perfect place for us to densify housing and development.” One concern she noted was the safety of seniors navigating nearby roadways. 

Schwartz agreed on both fronts, similarly calling for plans for sidewalks and the like. He noted he’s been run over by a car before, when speaking about pedestrian safety during the forum.

As for the so-called “road diet” — a proposal that would take roughly a half a mile of Central Avenue and reduce it from five lanes to three —Schwartz strongly opposed it, at least for now without additional connectivity.

[CLARIFICATION: Schwartz emailed the Outpost to emphasize he’s been against the road diet since 2013. The term “for now” originally used in this story meant without added transportation improvements.]

He pointed to emergency access and circulation problems.

“I think that it’s impractical to have traffic calming measures on our only main road without additional connectivity,” he said, calling for more county funding from Measure O and repurposing of the bridle trail, rather than traffic calming measures.

Burke agreed McKinleyville’s connectivity and pedestrian access is a problem. She said the road diet plan “may not be the right solution for that road, not until we get to see what better circulation looks like.”

She wants a traffic circulation study that includes bikes and pedestrians, a plan she worked to get a grant for while directing McKinleyville Community Services District.

“As supervisor, I will make sure that there is a comprehensive circulation plan that takes into account the needs of pedestrians and bicycles as well,” she said.

As for other parts of the district, like north and east, each touched on ideas and concerns. 

Schwartz called for keeping water in the Trinity River and fire management, speaking in support of prescribed burns using tribal burn methods.

Burke called for community-based plans for emergencies designed to connect community services with Humboldt County’s office of emergency services. She pointed to issues like the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis and mental health in Hoopa.

Both saw potential in Orick’s proposed community wastewater treatment plan.

Economy and Housing

Both aim to prioritize economic development and saw changes in the county’s permitting process as key to address economic and housing struggles.

Schwartz called for the removal of ambiguity from the permitting process, something he said would also help with housing, and for zoning changes to allow for development. He also sees potential for more tourism development in Orick, if people who live there want it.

Burke spoke in support of a county tourism plan and upcoming developments in the district. She pointed to the county’s proposed “one-stop shop,” for the public for permitting, a center the county wants to develop at Eureka’s old Kmart, when asked about housing affordability. She said the center could help builders know what to expect from the process.

The project recently was noted as having a timeline of 5-7 years at a Eureka planning commission meeting.

Approach

While the pair agreed on many fronts, their methods to address problems were different. 

Burke pointed to her emotional intelligence and communication abilities. 

As for connecting with people across the district, “I would plan on setting regular office hours out in the eastern part, Willow Creek, and Hoopa, and setting those office hours ahead of time, so people can rely on me being there,” she said, along with holding and attending meetings.

Schwartz, meanwhile, said his advantage was listening and learning from people.

“I’m happy to engage. I really enjoy learning from other people’s perspectives, and as Fifth District Supervisor, my role largely is going to be to serve the community,” he said, saying he aims to speak to different groups and understand where everyone’s coming from.

On a question about addressing financial problems, he said he’d personally do a ride-along with each county department to find areas to cut stop wasting money, and called for increasing the sales tax base in the Fifth District.

[CLARIFICATION: Evan Schwartz emailed the Outpost Thursday morning to specify his goal is to “identify redundancy and inefficiency, not to make cuts.”]

Meanwhile, Burke spoke in support of ongoing county efforts to address the budget deficit, like ending draws from the general fund and the assessor’s office catching up on a backlog of properties to boost taxes.

And she spoke in support of raises for county staff, while acknowledging it’s going to be tricky while managing the budget.

Both candidates said they supported a HCSO oversight committee and adding more trails.

In closing, Schwartz emphasized he wanted to bring his authentic self to the Board.

Earlier, he said he wanted to run to get the county back on track financially, noting his small business and financial management experience (he is the founder of several businesses).

“I have not solicited for or accepted any endorsements, because this is a nonpartisan position. So, I did not feel that it was right to ask anybody to endorse me. Similarly, I did not take one penny from anybody to run my race, because I was raised not to take money from people, because people tend to hold it over your head. I am not a politician, I am a community member that understands politics,” he said.

Meanwhile, Burke’s endorsement list is lengthy. She was endorsed by current Fifth District supervisor Steve Madrone way back when he announced he wouldn’t run again in spring 2025.

She’s also endorsed by Congressman Jared Huffman, state assemblymember Chris Rogers, state senator Mike McGuire, Humboldt County Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson, Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo, the Yurok Tribal Council, Humboldt County Democrats, the Humboldt Deputy Sheriffs Organization and multiple local unions.

She said after knocking on doors, she’s been inspired by the people she’s spoken to.

“You show up, you’re working hard for the vision for a healthy, prosperous Humboldt County, one where we all live well, and you’ve shown up for me too,” she said.

She said she’s motivated to put her decades of experience as an elected official, with watershed restoration and community efforts, to work. 

The forum was hosted by Anne Hartline, voter service chair for the League of Women Voters of Humboldt County, and streamed on KEET-TV.

Does anything inspire more emotion than bicycles? (In this country, at least.) Riding them can make people rapturous with joy, and at the same time, make others rage, sometimes to a point where almost killing someone sounds like a fine idea. The city of Eureka released results from a survey completed by over 1,000 people about the C Street Bicycle Boulevard and the yet-to-begin G Street Bicycle Boulevard, and the results make it clear that folks here aren’t immune from their cortisol-spiking properties.

“You fuckers keep adding bike lanes we dont want,” reads one answer to an open-ended question asking respondents for their thoughts on the G Street project. “The street is for cars. Fuck YOU!”

Most of the survey-takers weren’t filled with quite as much vitriol, but the data definitely indicates that most of them don’t like the completed C Street project, and don’t want another one. Close to 50% of respondents said they were “strongly opposed” to building island medians; another 18% “opposed” the idea. Only 20% favored them. The mood was even more tilted against “vehicle limiting installations,” partial or full traffic closures that allow cyclists to move across traffic safely. Almost two-thirds of the 1,047 responses were against the suggestion. A paltry 16%, tallied between both categories, approved. 

The outlook was a little brighter for “mini traffic circles.” About 46% were against them — either strongly or normally — and 35% liked the idea. 

Almost half of the respondents said they never ride bikes in Eureka. Almost all — 90% — said their primary mode of transportation was a motor vehicle. 6% ride every day, and 13% do it every week. 

The city of Eureka said in a Facebook post that the final design hasn’t been chosen, and that community feedback will guide the details. It’s not going to turn G Street into a one-way or limit parking.

The people who wrote 1,614 responses to the open-ended questions aren’t entirely against the bicycle boulevards, but the ones that are really hate them.

“I HATE IT!!!” someone wrote. “I LIVE ON C ST AND YOU DID IT WITHOUT EVEN CONSULTING US!!! AND IT ISN’T LIKE YOUR GOING TO LISTEN TO ANYONE WITH THIS SURVEY!!!! WE NEED NEW CITY LEADER NOT THE GROUP WE HAVE IN THERE NOW!!!!”

“THE DUMBEST THING THAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE!” wrote another. 

“I honestly cannot think of a more ridiculous design than the one that has been implemented,” some guy wrote at 2:30 a.m., according to the timestamp. “The idea that the City thinks there are enough bicyclists in Eureka (2.5% of all workers in Eureka as stated in the final Eureka Bike Plan) to ruin a perfectly good two way street that travels from Harris Street to Downtown is unbelievable.”

Plenty of other people complimented the safety features of the C Street project, and were excited for another one.

“I would love to see G street upkept and used more often!” wrote one. “I think it has great potential for this.”

The G Street Bicycle Boulevard Project Manager, Brittany Powell, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

PREVIOUSLY

• Search Warrant Served at Miranda’s Rescue Amid Allegations of Felony Animal Abuse, Fraud and Conspiracy
• Fortuna, Ferndale and Rio Dell Pause Animal Services Contracts With Miranda’s Rescue as Sheriff’s Office Investigation Continues

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In the affidavit for a search warrant served at Miranda’s Rescue on May 1, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Detective Julian Aguilera reveals that the Sheriff’s Office has taken eight dead dogs into evidence. The dog carcasses were covered in dirt and blood, and some if not all have what appear to be bullet holes in their heads, the affidavit says.

According to Aguilera’s sworn statement, two women, one of whom lives on the property right next to the nonprofit animal rescue in Fortuna, admitted to trespassing onto Miranda’s Rescue property in the dead of night and digging up the dead dogs from a mass grave. The women said they’d captured owner Shannon Miranda on a motion-activated trail camera earlier that day using a tractor to dump the carcasses into a hole, Aguilera reports in his statement.

The affidavit goes on to say that Miranda, the 55-year-old man who founded the animal rescue operation 28 years ago, lied about the fate of at least one of those dead dogs, telling staff at the Oakland shelter where it had come from that the dog been adopted. Miranda also lied to the Sheriff’s Office, Aguilera statement says, and after investigating the situation and interviewing the key people involved, the detective concluded that Shannon Miranda had killed those eight dogs as part of a money-making scheme.

“[I]t is my belief that Shannon murdered these dogs so that he could accept more from Oakland Animal Services for financial gain,” Aguilera’s affidavit says.

The operations manager of the Oakland Animal Services Shelter, Melinda Tierney, told Aguilera that Miranda would get paid $400 to $1,000 for every dog he accepted from the shelter, via a nonprofit affiliate. The Oakland shelter was transferring hundreds of dogs per year to Miranda’s Rescue, enough for him to generate at least $178,000 in revenue over the past three years alone, the affidavit says.

Meanwhile, public records reveal that over the past two years at least, Miranda’s Rescue was receiving hundreds more dogs from shelters scattered across the state, from Del Norte County to Palm Springs.

The Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Division is now investigating Miranda over “credible” allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud and conspiracy.

Attempts to reach Miranda for this story were unsuccessful. Calls to his cell phone trigger a voicemail message from Miranda inviting the caller to leave a message, but a recording then says the mailbox cannot accept messages. Texts sent to the phone showed they went through but they did not receive a reply.

More than 600 dogs received in a year

Aguilera’s affidavit notes that Miranda’s Rescue advertises itself as a no-kill rescue, adoption and sanctuary facility. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the rescue operation and four local thrift stores, the organization is “encouraged” to abide by the same guidelines and recommendations as shelters in the state, but it’s not mandated.

“There is no regulatory body that oversees Miranda’s Rescue,” Aguilera attests.

Miranda’s Rescue has formal Memorandums of Understanding with a variety of cities, counties, animal shelters and nonprofits around the state and beyond. This includes shelters in Oakland, Berkeley, Contra Costa County, Monterey County and Solano County. The cities of Fortuna, Rio Dell and Ferndale all paused their contracts once news of this investigation broke, and Oakland has reportedly done the same.

The Sheriff’s Office has obtained copies of the contracts that Miranda’s Rescue has with several of these government organizations, and they show the prices that Miranda requests for taking in dogs, according to Aguilera’s affidavit. While the local governments pay him a flat monthly fee — $450 per month from Ferndale, $800 per month from Fortuna and $1,450 per month from Rio Dell — other shelters (or the nonprofit organizations that partner with them), pay between $400 and $1,000 per dog.

“Of all the agreements, Solano County is the only shelter that has a term listed [stating] that Miranda’s Rescue may not euthanize a dog to create space for additional dogs,” Aguilera’s statement says. “In the past year, it is estimated that Miranda has received approximately over 600 dogs from various shelters. This number does not include any animals privately surrendered to Miranda’s Rescue. It is estimated that Miranda’s [Rescue] received approximately $510,000 in payment for caring for these dogs.”

Sabrina Woods is a volunteer at Solano County Animal Shelter. In a phone interview Monday she told the Outpost that this shelter alone sent 126 dogs to Miranda’s Rescue in 2025, via a nonprofit rescue partner, at a rate of $500 per dog.

Jennifer Raymond, founder of the nonprofit Humboldt Spay/Neuter Network and one of the women whose trespass operation triggered the current Sheriff’s Office investigation, has long been suspicious of operations at Miranda’s Rescue, and a little over a year ago she purchased the parcel right next to it.

“And I thought, ‘This is the way to find out, because I will be right there,’” she said. 

Asked whether she really bought the property for that sole purpose, Raymond replied, “I did.” After a beat she added, “I mean, it happens to have a wonderful old Victorian on it, and I love fixing up old houses. But … I bought it specifically so I could see what went on at Miranda’s Rescue, and to try to figure out where these animals were going.”

‘Guilty of lying’

On April 27, the morning after Raymond and her friend Jenna Moore (aka Jenna Kilby) say they dug up the dog bodies, Detective Aguilera interviewed Miranda at his Fortuna property. In his affidavit the detective says Miranda was “very open with law enforcement,” opening his home and offering a tour of the facility.

He denied killing and dumping the eight dogs that had been found.

“Shannon advised that he was not truly a no-kill shelter and that he did the best he could with the resources available to him, … ” Aguilera’s statement says. Miranda told the detective that he typically employs a veterinarian to euthanize animals but occasionally has to shoot one himself when “immediate action was required to prevent further suffering,” the affidavit says. 

Miranda admitted to taking compensation for surrendered dogs but said he uses the money for their care. He also admitted to being over capacity, with 69 dogs currently onsite despite terms in his conditional use permit allowing a maximum of 60.

Also on April 27, Raymond and Moore called the Sheriff’s Office that to report that they’d seen multiple large loads of dirt delivered to Miranda’s Rescue a day earlier and deposited in the same field where they’d dug up the dead dogs.

Aguilera saw the dirt mounds during his tour of the facility and asked Miranda about it. “Shannon informed us that he was trying to level the field for his horses,” the affidavit says.

Once the bodies of the dead dogs were obtained by the Sheriff’s Office, investigators found that six of the eight had been microchipped for identification.

Moore had told Aguilera that she’d identified one of the dogs as Zora, a big, black female with clipped ears who’d recently been shipped to Miranda’s Rescue by Oakland Animal Services. Aguilera spoke with that shelter’s operations manager, Melinda Tierney, who confirmed that Zora had been delivered to Miranda’s less than a month earlier. She said Zora had no temperament issues and was in good health at the time.

A social media image showing Zora before she was sent to Miranda’s Rescue.

“Melinda stated that a shelter employee received a picture message from Shannon Miranda on April 25, 2026, of Zora on a leash with the message, ‘Zora adopted,’” Aguilera’s statement says. 

Tierney told Aguilera that the shelter had arranged to bring seven more dogs to Miranda’s Rescue a few days later. Aguilera’s interview with Tierney led him to conclude that Miranda had killed those eight dogs so he could accept another lucrative shipment from Oakland, the affidavit says.

Woods, the volunteer from Solano County, told the Outpost that she tracked other dogs from the hole to shelters in Oakland, Berkeley and Palm Springs. One of the dogs, named Charmaine, was described in a social media post as being friendly with people and other dogs.

Charmaine, another of the dogs allegedly dug up on Miranda’s property, in a social media post.

Woods said she personally visited the shelters in Oakland and Berkeley so she could present the evidence she’d gathered.

On Monday, in a story by the Times-Standard, Oakland Animal Services Director Joe DeVries said his shelter immediately stopped transferring dogs to Miranda’s Rescue after learning about the investigation and hearing from “a Solano County volunteer.”

Woods confirmed that this was her.

On May 1, the day Miranda’s Rescue was searched, Miranda spoke on the phone with Tierney, the Oakland shelter’s operations manager. “He again lied to her and told her that Zora was adopted out,” Aguilera’s affidavit says.

Later that day, Miranda spoke with DeVries, who said he wanted to retrieve any remaining Oakland dogs from Miranda’s Rescue. Miranda told DeVries that he did not have good records and said several of the dogs he’d recently received from Oakland had to be “put down,” or had jumped out of cars, the search warrant says.

“Shannon admitted [to DeVries that] he lied about Zora” but said he did so “to spare the transport officer’s feelings,” Aguilera’s statement says. Miranda later told Humboldt County Animal Control Officer Andre Hale that he’d had to put Zora down because the dog had killed a cat and bit him. 

“Shannon told Andra [sic] that he was guilty of lying,” Aguilera’s statement says. 

A records check on Miranda revealed that he had a misdemeanor embezzlement conviction in 1993. Despite the age of the conviction and the fact that it was expunged from his record earlier this year, Aguilera says in his affidavit, “it shows a pattern of Shannon’s behavior in business.” 

According to the affidavit, Oakland Animal Services transferred 445 animals to Miranda’s Rescue from 2023 through 2025. If Miranda charged $400 for each of those dogs (the lowest amount specified in his agreement with the shelter’s affiliate organization), then “Miranda’s Rescue would have generated approximately $178,000 in revenue,” from that shelter alone.

Aguilera concludes that Miranda is “killing the dogs for financial gain” and says in his affidavit, “It is believed there may be more victims of potential abuse or fraud.”

‘Very complicated’

The Outpost recently obtained heavily redacted copies of Sheriff’s Office reports with similar allegations. Two years ago, for example, the office received a call from someone reporting that Miranda’s Rescue was receiving a $500 surrender fee and then “just putting the animals down under false pretenses of rehoming [them].”

In February 2025, the Sheriff’s Office received another report from someone who said they’d surrendered three healthy dogs to Miranda’s Rescue and at least two wound up dead. The report says Miranda confirmed that all three dogs had died but he didn’t have euthanasia records. 

“Per Miranda one died in kennel, one [was] euthanized by adoptive owner, one died in foster care.”

Reached via phone on Tuesday, Humboldt County Undersheriff J.D. Braud acknowledged that despite all of the evidence gathered thus far, this remains a “very complicated” investigation.

“We’re trying to utilize all options, including calling in additional resources or experts where we can,” he said. 

Aguilera’s affidavit says, “Due to some of the dogs being shot in the head, I request to seize the firearms located at his property to ensure no other dog is killed, and in order to locate the firearm that was used in Zora’s death and to prevent the killing of any future dog.”

He goes on to say, “I believe that he [Miranda] is prepared and able to destroy evidence.”

According to the search warrant return inventory, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office seized the following from Miranda’s Rescue on May 1:

• a Ruger 10/22 rifle with ammo
• a Beretta .380 pistol with 11 boxes of ammo
• a Remington 870 model shotgun with ammo
• a pellet gun, bb gun and air rifle
• adoption records and related paperwork
• a gray tote, and
• various electronics, including an iPhone, a laptop and a flash drive

Raymond said she knows that she may well be criminally liable for trespassing, but that doesn’t bother her.

“I have to go to jail for this I’m willing to, because I will get great pleasure sitting in a court of law under oath, talking about what I’ve witnessed,” she said. “Because it is absolutely abominable that anyone would do this — to the animals, and also to the people who thought they were saving those animals.”

The Sheriff’s Office is requesting any tips or information relevant to this investigation be called in to their tip line at 707-268-2539