Nearly 500 ducks suddenly need homes as rescue sanctuary closes

Howard Berkowitz, founder and CEO of the Duck Sanctuary in Anza, was a hometown hero. He was the person called when hundreds of ducklings were about to hatch unexpectedly or when abandoned chicks and ducks needed homes after Easter festivities died down.

Now, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services says Berkowitz surrendered 480 ducks because of “overcrowding at the property,” setting off a mass adoption effort that started Wednesday.

In an interview with LAist on Wednesday, Berkowitz said his problems started after he received an unexpected call in 2024. It was from a supplier of the Filipino delicacy balut and her duck eggs were about to hatch.

He rushed over and saved around 120 hatchlings. A social media page then began accusing him of mistreating the fowl and mismanaging donations.

Berkowitz said he has taken care of hundreds of ducks, sometimes at his own expense, and still has around 500 ducks at the sanctuary. But the mental health problems caused by the accusations are prompting him to shut down the sanctuary and move to Northern California, taking many beloved ducks with him.

Because he won’t be able to take them all, he said he called the county for help. But the Riverside County Department of Animal Services said officials had to remove the animals because of “improper” breeding and care.

“Limited assessments show the animals did not receive adequate caretaking,” according to the county.

But, the county added, the California Department of Food and Agriculture tested a sample of the fowl for infectious diseases and the results came back negative.

Berkowitz said he'll transport around 500 ducks with him to Northern California, where he’s in the process of buying a 160-acre property.

The other 480 ducks, he said, were surrendered to the county to transport to another shelter.

The county now is putting the ducks in their possession up for adoption. To adopt, email shelterinfo@rivco.org or visit the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus. Ducks will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. The county also is waiving adoption fees.