Shannon Miranda on his Fortuna property. | File photo.

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Miranda’s Rescue has been shut down again.

This morning, Humboldt County Planning and Building Director John Ford sent notice to Shannon Miranda informing him that the Conditional Use Permit and Coastal Development Permit for his animal rescue operation have been suspended again, effective today.

The suspension comes roughly a month after the county lifted a previous suspension after Ford determined that Miranda had remedied three violations related to land use. The permit violations, then and now, are unrelated to the ongoing criminal investigation into Miranda over allegations of animal cruelty, theft and fraud.

In the letter issued today, Ford says Miranda has failed to meet the terms of a compliance agreement executed between Planning and Building Department and Miranda’s Rescue on May 29.

Specifically the letter says Miranda failed to submit the grading permit required to deposit enough dirt fill to raise his dog kennels at least an inch a foot above the mean flood elevation. 

The permit suspension “means all operations associated with the permit must cease,” Ford’s letter says. “No additional animals are permitted to be accepted by the rescue, and no customer traffic is permitted on the property. If you would like to have the remaining animals relocated, the County will assist you in relocation.”

Reached by phone and asked for an update, Miranda erupted.

“Why don’t you call that bitch next door?” he demanded, referring to next-door neighbor Jennifer Raymond, who kickstarted the current investigation with fellow Fortuna resident Jenna Moore and who keeps a close eye on Miranda’s activities.

“She turned me in claiming there were cats in the office building,” Miranda said. (Miranda took down that office building earlier today.) “She knows there were no animals in there but she calls Animal Control saying she’s concerned I had animals in there! … Now I’m suspended again!”

When we reached Raymond, she acknowledged contacting the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the Animal Control Division and Ford, but she said she never claimed there were cats in the office building. Rather, she said she’d heard rumors that Miranda planned to tear down multiple buildings including the one the cats are housed in.

“My concern is if he is indeed tearing down [that building], I’m very concerned where the cats are going to go,” Raymond said. “I felt this would be an appropriate time for [Animal Control] to come out and do a welfare check and see what his plans are for the cats.”

Miranda insisted that none of this is actually about animal welfare. 

“It has nothing to do with animals,” he said. “It has to do with them not liking me and ruining my life.”

Ford’s letter says the permit suspension may be appealed to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, though that must be done within 10 days.

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