Overview
- Riverside County animal services took custody of 480 ducks after Tuesday's intake operation at an Anza sanctuary that investigators said was overcrowded.
- The county opened adoptions at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus Wednesday, with fees waived to speed placements and staff urging people to adopt ducks in pairs.
- State lab tests on sampled birds, coordinated with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, found no infectious diseases, while county veterinarians noted stress and possible vitamin A deficiency tied to crowding and poor diets.
- Officials say this ranks among the department’s largest animal intakes in about a decade, and they are continuing an investigation into conditions at the property.
- Sanctuary owner Howard Berkowitz says he is closing the Anza site and planning a move to Northern California with many remaining birds, as rescues and local adopters step in to rehome those surrendered.