County defends adoption of hundreds of seized ducks

Riverside County says it was right to place 480 seized ducks for adoption within a day, including nearly 300 that went to one person. (kesq.com) The Riverside County Department of Animal Services said the birds were surrendered from an Anza property in the department’s largest single animal intake in more than a decade. The agency said all 480 ducks were placed in less than 24 hours after an April 16 adoption event at the San Jacinto Animal Campus. (kesq.com) In its April 22 statement, the department said one adopter took in 299 ducks and that staff used a “barrier-free” process that did not require home checks, landlord verification, or adoption fees. The agency said its goal was to move animals quickly into homes rather than keep them in shelter care. (kesq.com) The county issued that explanation after rescue groups and advocates questioned how so many birds could be released so quickly and whether adopters had the space and resources to care for them. KESQ reported those concerns after the ducks were removed from an overcrowded property tied to The Duck Sanctuary in Anza. (kesq.com, kesq.com) KESQ reported on April 14 that the ducks had been surrendered by a property owner in an unincorporated part of Riverside County and were scheduled to be available at 11 a.m. the next day at 581 South Grand Avenue in San Jacinto. At that point, county officials described the intake as a rescue of nearly 500 ducks from a home in Anza. (kesq.com) Howard Berkowitz, the founder of The Duck Sanctuary, told KESQ on April 21 and April 22 that he was shutting down the operation, denied being an animal hoarder, and said he had been overwhelmed. KESQ also reported that he showed its cameras about 400 birds remaining at a different Anza property on Cave Rock Road. (kesq.com, kesq.com) The county said adopters are legally responsible for the animals they take home and that anyone who sees neglect or cruelty should report it so officers can investigate. The department also said it would be “transparent and accountable” about the adoption event while defending the placements as consistent with its current shelter policies. (kesq.com) The department has been pushing faster adoptions more broadly as it tries to reduce shelter crowding. In 2025, it reported an 80.9% live-release rate and later said its shelters were at 220% capacity during a countywide call for adopters. (kesq.com, kesq.com) For now, the county’s position is that the ducks needed to leave the shelter quickly and that post-adoption welfare depends on reports from the public and follow-up if problems surface. The questions from rescuers have shifted from how the birds were seized to where hundreds of them went next. (kesq.com, kesq.com)