More than 400 ducks in Riverside County will soon be available for adoption after they were rescued from a home in an unincorporated area of the county.
Investigators were called to a home in Riverside for an investigation into overcrowding of the animals at the property, Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) said. The property owner who housed the 480 ducks told investigators they intended to maintain an animal sanctuary for the birds, but ultimately had improper husbandry that led to the overcrowding.
That property owner agreed to relinquish the animals and is now working with RCDAS to find better-suited homes for the ducks.
“We cannot provide long-term shelter care for this number of animals, so it’s important we work quickly to find placement with rescues, adopters and organizations willing to assist this week,” RCDAS Assistant Director Dr. Kimberly Youngberg said in a statement.
The animal agency worked with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to test a sample of the animals for any diseases. All results were negative, RCDAS said.
The ducks will be available for adoption beginning on Wednesday at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus. To better help the ducks find new homes, adoption fees for them are being waived, RCDAS said in a press release.