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The Real Duck Sanctuary

@therealducksanctuary

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Documenting Howard Berkowitz’s, “The Duck “Sanctuary” CA ⚠️🦆raising awareness
E: [email protected]
Donate for help for transport in links 🔗

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🐾 What a special night celebrating the people who lead with compassion and fight every day to protect animals!

Loved meeting Priscilla Presley and hearing about her longtime commitment to animals as well. 💚

Thank you to @judiemancuso and Nick Sackett for 19 years of incredible leadership through Social Compassion in Legislation, and congratulations to the Heroes of the Year: Ashli Shore, Darcy Smith, Sascha Knopf, Jennifer Raymond, and Jenna Moore.

And thank you to Alya and Dr. Gary Michelson for opening their home and supporting this important work.

Proud to stand with @socialcompassion and our animal rights community as we keep fighting for a more compassionate California.

📸 @ella_hovsepian

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Oh my gosh… yesterday was such a wonderful whirlwind of a day!

I was up at 6:00 a.m. to feed some of the kids, and then Ranch Dad dropped me off at the airport. I landed in Los Angeles around 1:00 p.m. and took an Uber to the event, which began at 4:00. I met up with Sascha @therealducksanctuary and Ash from The @theshoresanctuary and had the opportunity to meet so many incredible animal advocates who are working to create legislation that protects animals throughout California- Including @priscillapresley , and Nathan Hochman, LA County DA.

I was deeply honored to receive an award from @socialcompassion —and another award from California State Assemblymember Jessica Calzoa! @asmcaloza ❤️

Now for the rough part of the day…

Just as the event was wrapping up, I looked down and realized that the diamond from my engagement ring was missing. Yep—after 24 years, I lost the diamond from my ring. 😭 I am an extremely sentimental person, so this was beyond upsetting.

Then LA traffic did what LA traffic does, and I boarded my plane just one minute before takeoff! 🫨 But I made it home and was picked up by the best Ranch Dad who ever lived—with a crispy Diet Coke waiting for me. ❤️

It was a day filled with tremendous honor, wonderful people, a little heartbreak, a lot of stress, and so much gratitude.

Here are some photos and videos from this unforgettable day! ❤️❤️❤️

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Last night, I had the privilege of attending the @socialcompassion Social Compassion in Legislation event to receive one of the Animal Heros of the Year Award alongside my friends Darcy (@imthefunkychicken ) and Sascha (@itssaschaknopf ).

To be completely honest, the imposter syndrome hit hard. I do this work behind the scenes, away from the spotlight, and years of fighting this fight can make you cynical. But standing in a room full of passionate advocates, politicians, and friends whose compassion inspires me daily was a grounding, surreal reminder of why we do what we do. Thank you, @socialcompassion, for such a memorable evening and for being such a powerful force in the community.

Today, it’s back to the routine—caring for our sanctuary residents and managing treatments.

While last night was magical, the reality is that the work is far from over. It’s tough to accept an award when so many birds still desperately need safe placement, and when their abuser has yet to face legal accountability. I’m thankful for the honor, but my heart is still focused on the fight ahead.

There’s still so much to do, and we aren’t stopping now.

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So very honored- humbled- grateful— and all the things… To have received this honor from @socialcompassion / @judiemancuso - alongside @imthefunkychicken, @theshoresanctuary — with @therealducksanctuary - jenna & jennifer who exposed Miranda’s “rescue” in humbolt county.

The award/plaque from @asmcaloza was so utterly personal and completely unexpected. Thank you so much!! 🙏🏻❤️
.
#animalrights #socialcompassion #ducks

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Dear Friends,

Once a year, we come together to support our work for animals, and this year’s event will be truly extraordinary. We’ll honor the elected officials who championed groundbreaking animal protection laws alongside the boots-on-the-ground heroes who refused to give up.

We are especially honored to recognize Jennifer Raymond and Jenna Moore as Animal Heroes for helping expose what was happening at Miranda’s Rescue in Humboldt County. Public records show that more than 2,700 dogs from 21 public shelters were transferred to Miranda’s Rescue since 2020, with the fate of many still under investigation.

We will also honor Sascha Knopf, Darcy Smith, and Ashli Shore, who worked tirelessly with Social Compassion and others to expose the years-long suffering of animals at Howard Berkowitz’s so-called “Duck Sanctuary.” Their persistence helped lead to the July 2026 seizure of more than 800 animals and Berkowitz’s arrest on animal cruelty charges.

Please join us on Saturday, September 19, 2026, for Justice for Animals in Brentwood, Los Angeles, CA.

Hosted by
@michelsonphilanthropies
@judiemancuso

Heroes of the Year
Jenna Moore, Jennifer Raymond, Sascha Knopf, Darcy Smith, & Ashli Shore

Honorees
@replaurafriedman
@dianewarren
@jim.greenbaum
@nathanhochmanda
@asmmatthaney
@asmrickchavezzbur
@bobblumenfield

Special Guests
@priscillapresley
@lisabloomesq
@louiselinton
@haylynn.conrad
@lananegretesm
@sashareneeperez
@ib2_real
@asmmarkgonzalez
Jessica Caloza
@asmmikefong

We’ll celebrate 19 years of saving animals through groundbreaking legislation, rescue, spay and neuter programs, anti-cruelty efforts, emergency preparedness, shelter research, and plant-based initiatives — and recognize the extraordinary people who make this work possible.

Most importantly, your donation directly funds the work ahead. There are more animals who need us, more cruelty cases that demand action, and more laws we must fight to change.

Please RSVP today and help us continue saving animals, one law at a time
https://tinyurl.com/justice-for-animals

I look forward to seeing you.

With gratitude,
Judie Mancuso

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I am incredibly honored and humbled to be recognized as one of @socialcompassion ‘s “Heroes of the Year” for my work exposing the horrific conditions at the Berkowitz Duck Sanctuary.

I will be honored alongside two remarkable women who fought tirelessly for these birds: Ash Shore of @theshoresanctuary Shore Sanctuary and Sascha Knopf of @therealducksanctuary . Jenna Moore and Jennifer Raymond, the courageous whistleblowers who helped expose the heartbreaking conditions at Miranda’s Rescue, will also be recognized.

Everything I do comes from a pure love for animals—not for praise or recognition. Still, it means more than I can express to know that our years of fighting, speaking out, documenting the truth, and refusing to give up are being acknowledged.

I am deeply grateful to Social Compassion in Legislation for this recognition and for its unwavering commitment to protecting animals through stronger laws and anti-cruelty programs. I look forward to standing alongside so many extraordinary animal advocates on September 19 in Los Angeles. ❤️🦆

Tickets are still available for this amazing event, and I would love to see some familiar faces in the crowd! If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like to attend, and support this amazing cause, the link to purchase tickets is on Social Compassion in Legislation’s page.

#sanctuary #animalwelfare #forrheloveofanimals

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Here’s a caption that fits your advocacy style while staying focused on the pigeons:

The ducks weren’t the only victims.

These pigeons survived the raid at Howard Berkowitz’s so-called “Duck Sanctuary.” While most people never even think about pigeons, they suffered too.

The 97 pigeons now in rescue are among the lucky ones. We don’t know how many others were lost before help finally arrived.

Every animal deserves compassion—no matter the species.

Thank you to the rescuers, veterinarians, San Diego County Animal Services, and everyone working tirelessly to give these birds a second chance. ❤️🕊️

#voiceforthevoiceless #PigeonsMatter #AnimalRescue #AnimalCruelty #BirdRescue

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UPDATE | Thank you for helping us exceed our donation goal!!! We did it!!! 🎊

Original Post | We are so close to reaching our goal that will help the animals who survived Howard Berkowitz's hoarding cruelty find their forever homes!

Donate Now | socialcompassion.org

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far.

Share - Comment - Like to help spread the word!

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🚨 BIG HOARDER (AKA "RESCUE") BUSTED FOR FELONY ANIMAL CRUELTY
NEED HELP NOW!

Donate at socialcompassion.org

We have been working with the Funky Chicken Rescue, advocates/whistleblowers, "The Duck Sanctuary Exposed," San Diego & Riverside County's animal departments, the Los Angeles DA's Office, & the U.S. DOJ, to seek justice for the surviving 800 animals, who have been kept & transported in abhorrent conditions.

Berkowitz's duck "sanctuary" (aka Duck Pond, Inc.) in the Riverside area, was booked by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office for Penal Code 597(b), felony animal cruelty. Berkowitz had moved the animals to San Diego County over the last week, allegedly without ventilation making many trips in a U-Haul truck.

This has been ongoing for years, but thanks to the perseverance of a determined team of witnesses, homeowners, volunteers, rescue organizations, adopters, & donors to seek justice for these animals, this heartbreaking story is coming to an end.

Now, we urgently need your help!

We need funds for transport expenses, such as gas, truck rentals, kennels, crates, bedding, food, equipment, & volunteers who will help move the animals interstate and possibly out-of-state.

We have an immediate need to transport of at least 10 chickens & ducks from San Diego to the Sacramento area with more transportation as the animals become officially available for adoption.

The rest of the animals currently belong to the court for the time being.
We will keep everyone informed as the remaining animals are available for adoption.

This is a tax-deductible donation that will only go towards this major undertaking unless otherwise noted.

If you can help, email Darcy Smith:
funkychickenrescue@gmail.com

Here is the estimated numbers of the species that were saved. They are all being evaluated by an avian veterinarian.

500 - 600 Ducks
100 Geese
200+ Pigeons
1 Chinese Gold Pheasant
2-4 Peacocks
1-2 Peahen
1 Pink Cockatoo
1 White Cockatoo
2-4 Guinea Fowl
20 Chickens/Roosters
1 Macaw
Canadian Geese
Mallards
Budgies
Cockatiels
3 dogs (Great Pyrenees mixes)

Thank you so much for considering to help this rescue effort. We are all so grateful!

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🚨 WE WERE ON CBS Los Angeles TONIGHT 🚨

Thank you for covering the ongoing duck situation and helping bring more attention to what’s been happening @nicole__comstock / @cbsla

There are still unanswered questions.
There are still ongoing concerns.
And this is far from over.

If you caught the segment, let us know your thoughts ⬇️
If you missed it, here’s the clip 🦆

#voiceforthevoiceless
#animalrescue
#theducksanctuaryexposed
#animalrescue
#animalcontrol

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🚨 NO VIOLATIONS OBSERVED 🚨

This didn’t happen overnight. And it didn’t happen in the dark.

For years, Riverside County Animal Services visited Howard Berkowitz’s properties—over 35 documented visits to just one location alone.

And still: no violations. ❌

Why?

Because many of those visits were scheduled.
Because animals were kept hidden—inside structures, inside homes—out of sight.

Witnesses begged officers to look inside.
Doors were not opened.

Behind those doors:
Animals without electricity ⚡️❌
Without running water 🚱
Without ventilation 🌬❌
Without space to move.

At the Bautista Rd property in Anza, the situation was so severe the property was eventually red-tagged 🚫
When authorities finally returned with a warrant—after Berkowitz said the animals were gone—
they found dead animals in feed bags. 💔
And still—no accountability.

In 2024, Animal Services counted over 1,200 birds outside on a property zoned for around 20. 🚨
They didn’t count the ones inside.

This pattern goes back to at least 2017.
Multiple properties.
Multiple warnings.
No meaningful intervention.

This is not about rescues refusing to help.
Many tried. Repeatedly.

Some are only speaking out now because they were afraid—
of retaliation, of lawsuits, doxxing— ⚖️
Others didn’t want to go against another rescuer.

But the truth is:
This was allowed to continue.

The 480 relinquished birds were not prioritized for placement with experienced, vetted sanctuaries.

Instead, they were made available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. 🎟

Rescues with the proper structure, knowledge, and resources were working tirelessly to secure appropriate placements—but were not given the opportunity to step in before the public release.

As a result, birds were taken in large numbers without clear oversight.

We have credible reports that hundreds of ducks were taken by a single individual and resold, and that others may have ended up in unsafe or exploitative situations.

If these were dogs or cats—this would never have been handled this way.

After everything these animals endured, this was not rescue.
It was a free-for-all.

Riverside County we demand accountability ‼️

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🦆 Rescue is only the beginning. ❤️‍🩹

What happens next is what truly matters.

This was part of a post from @theshoresanctuary last year…
And it is just as relevant today—if not more so.

Long before what we are seeing unfold now… this was already being said.

Now that more of the truth is coming out about the Duck Sanctuary / Howard Berkowitz—and other so-called “rescues” across the country—we need to keep this in mind:

“Rescuing” is incredible, and it deserves to be recognized. 🙏

But it’s the ongoing care—
the safety, the medical attention, the proper placement, the enrichment—
for each and every animal, for the rest of their life, that matters just as much.

And arguably… that is the hardest part of this work.

These birds are not just numbers.
They are lives. 🕊️

They have already been through so much. 💔

Because the most important part of rescue isn’t saving them—
it’s what happens to them after.

And that’s why we’re bringing this up now.

Because while we are truly grateful that people and rescues are stepping up— 🙏
we want to make sure these birds are not just moved… but truly safe.

Safe for the rest of their lives.
Cherished.
Nurtured.
Given the care they have always deserved. 🦆💛

Because survival alone is not the goal—
a safe, stable, and humane life is…

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