Exclusive: Founder of the Duck Sanctuary addresses future after hundreds of birds surrendered
ANZA, Calif. (KESQ) The founder of a Riverside County duck sanctuary says he is shutting down his operation, permanently denying he is an animal hoarder while acknowledging he was overwhelmed, in an exclusive interview with News Channel 3 reporter Garrett Hottle Tuesday in Anza.
Howard Berkowitz, who operates The Duck Sanctuary, met with Hottle at his current property on Cave Rock Road. He showed News Channel 3 what he said were approximately 400 remaining birds.
The interview came after animal rescue advocate Sascha Knopf spent two years fighting to draw attention to conditions at Berkowitz's Riverside County properties. Knopf told News Channel 3 she contacted animal control and code enforcement repeatedly, and that officials kept telling her nothing was wrong.
"After 35-plus visits from Animal Control - how could they possibly not see?" Knopf said. "I'd call code enforcement and say this property is only zoned for 20 birds and he has 1,300. Aren't you gonna do something? And they're like we can't violate his Fourth Amendment rights."
The story also involves a Minnesota family who sold their Anza land to Berkowitz in good faith.
When the deal collapsed, they say he refused to leave. By the time he did, the property was red-tagged. Son-in-law Chang Zhang told News Channel 3 that animal control never called them once.
"The only contact we've had is with code enforcement — and they're just telling us: pay up," Zhang said. "How can you help us? We can't help you. It's your problem. You want me to go out there and physically remove him?"
Berkowtiz said he felt like he was under a microscope, and initially pushed back against speaking with News Channel 3.
"If you're going to put me in a bad light — I'm not sure we're going to do this" he said.
He was aasked about photographs and videos showing overcrowded enclosures and poor conditions at his previous properties, including images of ducks in what appeared to be a bedroom.
Berkowitz did not back down.
"I made mistakes in the past," he said. "Show me a rescue that hasn't. Ultimately, it falls on me. I take full responsibility for that."
Asked directly whether he is an animal hoarder, Berkowitz was blunt. "No. I'm not a duck hoarder. I don't go out and solicit for these ducks. They come to me."
When asked for for honesty, Berkowitz acknowledged the scale of his operation had outpaced his resources.
"That's why I gave the 500 ducks away because I was overwhelmed," he said. "I couldn't afford it. I wasn't getting any support."
Danielle Carruthers, a volunteer who has worked alongside Berkowitz for nearly a decade and remains his closest ally, acknowledged things went wrong.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush," Carruthers said. "There's been issues. There's been choices made. The property not being properly zoned was one and that was a big one."
The interview also touched on what rescue advocates are calling a critical failure by Riverside County Animal Services.
When the county took in nearly 480 surrendered birds on April 14, they distributed all of them to the public in less than 24 hours. Berkowitz said 300 of his ducks went to one individual who listed them on Facebook Marketplace at $15 each within the hour.
One rescue organizations with formal county partnership agreements received only eight eight birds.
Darcy Smith, founder of Funky Chicken nonprofit animal sanctuary in Northern California, was among those who received birds - only because Knopf personally secured them at the shelter.
"They were handing them out like candy," Smith said. "Although I'm not happy with the hoarder I'm even more upset with Riverside County. They had the chance to make this right, and they did not. Those poor animals."
Berkowitz said The Duck Sanctuary is finished.
He will no longer take in birds and has taken down his social media. He is offering five ducks free of charge to anyone who can show proof of proper zoning and a predator-proof enclosure.
Near the end of the interview, after all the back and forth, he said something that framed the entire story.
"Every time I did an adoption to a good family and I knew those ducks were going to a good home I was so happy for those ducks," he said. "I wish that that had happened every day of my life. But it didn't. So yeah if people come here and they're going to a good home God bless. Come get them right now."
Eight birds made it to a real sanctuary in Northern California. Knopf secured them herself the day of the surrender. They are safe tonight.
In a statement to News Channel 3 Tuesday night, Riverside County Animal Services said the following:
"The Riverside County Department of Animal Services took in an unprecedented 480 ducks surrendered from a property in the largest, single intake for the department in over a decade. The relinquishment was the result of overcrowding and part of an ongoing investigation regarding a property in Anza. Given our inability to provide long-term care for that many animals we urgently acted to secure placement through rescue and adoption, leaning on the public to give the animals a different outcome than the overcrowded conditions they came from. A week prior to the intake on Tuesday, April 14, our rescue team reached out to partners and known animal rescue groups in advance of sending the public call-to-action for additional rescues and adopters. Urgency was of the essence in order to not impact the planned large-scale intake or impede the ongoing investigation. To the greatest extent possible, we made an effort to give advance notice of the upcoming surrender and the immediate need for placement of hundreds of waterfowl from RCDAS possession.
The call-to-action for rescues and adopters was made in the best interest of the animals and with the understanding that RCDAS shelters adopt out animals and livestock to rescue groups and private individuals as a daily function of our mission. While we cannot provide information on any one adopter, we did adopt 293 ducks to one individual who disclosed their intent to rehome the ducks and who provided evidence they had the capacity to safely transport and temporarily house that many. This is similar to a rescue organization pulling hundreds of dogs or cats, which is common practice, and finding placement for them outside of our overcrowded shelters. The difference here is that we did not have a known relationship with this individual, which is also the case when working with new rescue groups and organizations. Additionally, it is routine and expected for rescue organizations to rehome animals by charging a fee to individuals who adopt animals. We follow a barrier-free adoption model that places trust in our community to act in the best interest of the animals leaving our shelters. We are not in the position to inspect the property of adopters or rescue organizations prior to finalizing adoptions due to the impact of timely placement of animals and our own resources. In this case, adopters and rescues were advised to ensure compliance with their city or local jurisdiction regarding ordinance restrictions on the number of ducks permitted per property, as regulations vary by location.
If there is credible information that any individual or rescue that adopted animals from our shelters are violating the law in regard to animal cruelty or neglect, we ask the public to email us at shelterinfo@rvico.org and we will investigate as appropriate. An ongoing investigation at the property in Anza remains open."
