Impounded Roosters to Be Relocated
110 Birds from Alleged Hoarder Need Homes
Need some eggs fertilized? The Santa Barbara County Animal Service Department is currently trying to find homes for 110 roosters following their confiscation from the West Camino Cielo ranch of Sandy Coupal last December 10. Since their removal from Coupal’s residence, the birds have been kept in the Santa Barbara Humane Society’s facilities. However, any birds that have not been adopted by September 7 will have to be relocated to the Santa Barbara County-run animal shelters, which do not have the capacity to care for this quantity of birds.
As part of the resolution of Coupal’s animal hoarding case in May, when the charges brought against her were dropped, the Animal Services department has made an effort to re-house all of the impounded animals. This effort has been successful for the majority of the 445 animals that were taken into custody including an alpaca, two dogs, and a variety of hens, chickens, turkeys, and other birds.
However, the roosters present more of a challenge since most families are only willing to adopt one, and zoning laws prohibit residences from owning roosters within Santa Barbara city limits. According to Coupal, the agreement reached between the parties on May 25 stated that none of the confiscated animals would be euthanized (with an exception for illness) for two years.
Jan Glick, the director of the Animal Services department, maintains that there are no plans to harm the birds, but the reality is that, if the roosters are not adopted by the end of the week, she will have to create space that is not currently available. “Rescue would be a good option for these birds,” said Glick.
Glick describes the roosters as social and accustomed to being handled by humans; they are all shapes, colors, and sizes. Anyone who is interested in rescuing these birds should do so this week; however, they will still be available for adoption after their relocation. Interested parties may contact the Animal Services department at (805) 681-5285 or visit the shelter at 5473 Overpass Road in Goleta.
