We received the following response to our inquiry into jurisdiction and responsibility for the burros from Lt. Kyle Stephens.

Good morning Kevin and company,

Unfortunately the county does not currently have a program/policy In place to control the population.

In the past Department of Animal Services (DAS) has done spay/neuter on large herds, but as of right now due to lack of resources we don’t have any spay/neuter planned in the near future, although this is something that is continuously in discussion.

I attached a copy of Title 6.24.Title 6.24 Burros.  Title 6 is what is enforceable in Riverside County by DAS.

We currently work closely with Donkey Land and relocate large herds of burros as often as possible in higher traffic/problem areas.  Typically we do not relocate unless if we are getting an influx of calls from the public, law enforcement etc.

Again, this is generally a resource issue. When we relocate burros it takes anywhere from a half day to a couple days and requires us to take Officers from their regularly scheduled areas to complete depending on the size of the herd and the area we are attempting to capture them in.

I do know this has been brought to the attention of the County Board of Supervisors and also is at the state level, sitting on someone’s desk at the moment.  This is a long process but I believe they are currently working on a solution.  If I get any updates I will relay the information to you all.

I apologize for the late response.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

Regards,
Lt. Kyle Stephens