Nearly 500 ducks are suddenly in need of new addresses after Riverside County animal crews descended on a private sanctuary in Anza, carting off roughly 480 birds and touching off a full‑blown adoption rush at a regional shelter.
County officials say the ducks were surrendered after an inspection flagged overcrowding and inadequate care at the property. The birds were moved to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus for intake, medical checks and rehoming.
In a news release, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services said Animal Control Officers inspected the sanctuary and worked with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to test samples for zoonotic diseases. Those tests came back negative, according to the department. Officials described the large relinquishment as the consequence of “overcrowding at the property” and warned that cramped conditions and poor nutrition can stress birds and make them more vulnerable to illness.
Sanctuary founder Howard Berkowitz pushed back on parts of the county’s account and told LAist that months of online criticism and scrutiny played a big role in his decision to shut the site down. He said he plans to move many of his birds to a new property he is purchasing in Northern California but that he could not take every duck, which is why he ultimately called the county for help placing the rest.
Where the ducks are now and how to adopt
The county transferred the flock to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus and opened the birds for adoption, waiving fees and asking would‑be duck owners to show up with suitable carriers and to double‑check local rules on keeping waterfowl, according to ABC7. The outlet described the intake as one of the largest single‑species operations the department has handled in years and showed lines of residents waiting for a chance to bring ducks home.
Local coverage in Patch highlighted the San Jacinto campus as the main hub for adoptions and published the county’s contact email for anyone interested in taking in birds.
How the situation escalated
Reports trace the current crunch back to spring 2024, when the sanctuary absorbed a large wave of hatchlings after an abandoned shipment of balut eggs. As the number of ducks ballooned, neighbors lodged complaints about the expanding operation, and Berkowitz told LAist he had already been forced to relocate multiple times.
County officials say repeated inspections eventually showed the Anza property had far exceeded what a private sanctuary could safely handle, which set the stage for last week’s mass surrender.
Investigation and legal questions
Authorities say the property owner is cooperating with the county’s investigation, and local outlets have noted that no arrests or criminal charges have been announced to date. Coverage in Patch underscored the logistical headache of suddenly housing hundreds of ducks and the department’s plea for rescues, foster homes and volunteers to help move the birds out quickly.
Riverside County has urged anyone able to foster or rescue waterfowl to step up and provided an email address for adoption questions. Interested parties are being directed to contact the Riverside County Department of Animal Services or email [email protected] for details. Officials are also reminding adopters that ducks are flock animals and are better off adopted in pairs or groups whenever possible.
