Police officers continue to kill friendly dogs
The latest shooting is just one of many, while public officials do little to combat it.
In other news: FBI joins search for over 700 missing animals. Justice for Chai. Poor leadership is at the root of pound killing. All the dogs are free! Do you have what it takes to save lives? Communities are looking for someone to run or help run their animal shelters. Three studies find contaminants in pet food still being sold. City tightens the leash on neglectful people by loosening it for dogs. Federal government changes rules on emotional support animals. Will the death of a human finally end NYC carriage horse abuse? Hundreds of cats destined for dinner plates rescued by police.
These are some of the stories making headlines in animal protection:
FBI joins search at Miranda’s Rescue as over 700 animals are unaccounted for
Investigators excavating a Northern California animal rescue found the remains of at least two animals Tuesday, including a horse and a smaller animal about the size of a dog, as authorities searched the property for evidence in a widening animal cruelty, fraud and theft investigation.
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said at an afternoon news conference that 730 animals remain unaccounted for after Miranda’s Rescue received more than 900 animals from shelters between January 2025 and this spring.
The FBI, state agencies and forensic experts joined Humboldt County investigators in serving a second search warrant Tuesday morning at Miranda’s Rescue…
As previously reported, Miranda’s Rescue is under investigation by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office for “felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy.” According to reports, Miranda’s Rescue charged public shelters as much as $500 per dog, private shelters as much as $1,000, and dogs with bite histories as much as $3,500. The owner promised to either find them homes or allow them to live in the sanctuary for their entire lives.
Investigators found eight dead dogs buried on the property, some reportedly shot in the head. This includes animals that the owner falsely reported to shelters as being adopted, complete with photos of dogs walking on a leash.
San Francisco area shelters have severed their relationship with the group and some retrieved dogs previously sent there who were still alive. A shelter in Berkeley reported that returned dogs “came back thinner, with some bumps, bruises and in need of decompressing.”
No charges have been filed, but the case remains under investigation.
Justice for Chai
On June 4, 2024, Chai, a brown and white “pitty-mix,” was surrendered to Columbus Animal Care & Control Center in Georgia. The reason for surrender was listed as “no room.” After her family left, Chai watched the door, waiting for them to return. They didn’t.
Still, she was one to two years old and had her whole life ahead of her. And through the agency that is supposed to give dogs like Chai a second chance when things go wrong, she could find a worthy family — one that would give her the life she deserved. This was especially true for a dog like Chai, described on her paperwork as “affectionate” and “playful” and good with everyone: cats, dogs, men, women, kids, and strangers.
Unfortunately, that didn’t protect her from being killed by pound staff — and killed by heartstick, which is painful and illegal. Eight workers were arrested on 34 charges after investigators concluded that records were falsified to conceal the cruel killing that left Chai dying on the floor. But despite the dramatic arrests, two years after her abuse and killing at the hands of those tasked with protecting her, the criminal cases against the former animal control employees remain unresolved. No publicly reported trial or final disposition has followed. The defendants bonded out, the cases drifted through preliminary proceedings, and justice for Chai remains unfinished.
Poor leadership is at the root of pound killing
Capitol Weekly, which covers California government and state politics, published an OpEd which put the blame for killing squarely on the shoulders of those who run the pounds:
“California is a top state for the execution of shelter pets. Many falsely attribute this crisis to ‘overpopulation.’ This false narrative deflects from the real cause — public officials hire leaders that have an archaic kill-pound mentality...
“No leader would rather take than save a life, right? A small sample, from countless examples around the state, dispels that myth.”
All the dogs are free!