Massive rescue underway: hundreds of animals seized from Julian sanctuary

by Karen Pearlman | May 2, 2026 12:23 am

Photo from Villa Chardonnay, Horses With Wings, Inc. Facebook page

By Karen Pearlman

May 1, 2026 (Julian) — In what appears to be one of the largest ever animal welfare interventions locally, the San Diego Humane Society, the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services and several more partner agencies launched a massive rescue operation of animals with welfare concerns early Friday morning, May 1, at a 20-acre rural sanctuary in Julian.

SDHS officials say that an investigation into the site began in early April and that San Diego DAS “had previous reports about the property but only recently received legal authority to enter.”

Supported by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Humane Law Enforcement officers served a search warrant at Villa Chardonnay, Horses With Wings, Inc.[1], the property at 4554 Boulder Creek Road in Julian just after sunrise.

The rescue operation at Villa Chardonnay involves large groups of veterinary teams, emergency responders and animal care specialists. The collective effort is doing triage work, aiming to rescue and relocate hundreds of animals currently living on the site.

Property records from last September show that 4554 Boulder Creek Road is in foreclosure, with an unpaid balance of nearly $1.7 million. According to the online nonprofit group Candid/Guidestar, “Villa Chardonnay Horses with Wings has received 25 grants from 10 grantmakers totaling $1,235,486 over the most recent 5 years of available data.”

While an official census of animals in distress is still being finalized as teams work through the property in Julian, the sheer volume of animals is staggering, SDHS officials say.

Preliminary reports from the scene include about 165 horses and several ponies, more than 150 cats and 30 dogs. There are also rescue efforts going to get donkeys, alpacas, goats, geese, chickens, roosters, turkeys, ravens and a crow.

SDHS officials are asking anyone whose animal is believed to have been surrendered to or was housed at Villa Chardonnay, to please complete this form[2]. A member of the group’s Humane Law Enforcement team will follow up with those affected, and officials note that they are working to respond as quickly as possible.

The variety and number of animals suggest a logistical challenge of historic proportions for the responding agencies, according to a spokesperson from the County.

Photo, right, courtesy San Diego Humane Society: A horse is examined by members of rescue groups at Villa Chardonnay in Julian.

Julian falls outside the standard jurisdiction of the San Diego Humane Society, but County officials made the decision because of the complexity of the case to transfer authority to the nonprofit.

“County Animal Services medical team is working alongside our partners to provide medical care and basic animal care to help a large number of animals at the property. Hundreds of animals are being assessed and treated at the property,” a statement from the County DAS said.

“County Animal Services had previous reports about the property, but only recently received legal authority to enter. The department transferred the case to the San Diego Humane Society on April 24, 2026, to provide broader resources in coordinating the care of the animals. We will continue to work with Humane Law Enforcement who is leading the investigation.”

The scope of the rescue has required a “all hands on deck” approach. SDHS is leading the investigation, but the effort is bolstered by mutual aid from across the state, including: Pasadena Humane Society, LA County Animal Care & Control and Marin Humane.

“This is a massive undertaking,” an SDHS spokesperson noted, emphasizing that the sheer volume of horses alone requires specialized transport and long-term care facilities that few individual agencies can provide on their own.

Questions about Villa Chardonnay

The SDHS reported late Friday that a judge has turned over ownership of the animals from the Villa Chardonnay sanctuary in Julian and officially transferred it to San Diego Humane Society.

The Villa Chardonnay website said the grounds are home to more than 600 rescued animals and note that they animals “find love, safety and a second chance at life.”

The website says that since 2003, the group has been dedicated to providing a forever home to animals who have been abandoned, neglected or abused, “ensuring they live out their days in peace and comfort. By being a lifeline for these incredible creatures, your tax-deductible donations and ongoing support truly make a world of difference. Together, we can give them the care, compassion, and second chance they deserve!”

Photo, left: A rescued animal from Villa Chardonnay in Julian is cared for by medical staff. Photo courtesy San Diego Humane Society.

Villa Chardonnay – Horses with Wings was previously located in Hemet, on a leased 31-acre property around 2016-17, after leaving Temecula.

The sanctuary faced eviction and, in 2019, accused a person of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Back in 2019 when it was located in Hemet in Riverside County, Valley News reported[3] that Villa Chardonnay Animal Sanctuary had to come up with more than $1 million by the end of the year after allegations were made that a man embezzled more than $400,000 from the sanctuary. At the time, the site was home to more than 300 animals.

Villa Chardonnay put out a news release in July 2019 that reads:

“Hemet Sheriff Department is investigating an alleged investor who stole tens of thousands of dollars from Villa Chardonnay, an accredited
animal sanctuary. Posing as a former professional sports agent and investment group manager representing basketball greats such as Magic Johnson Russell Westbrook and Jason Kidd, Ron Allen offered to provide funding for Villa Chardonnay’s forever Hemet home.

“As part of the real estate transaction, Mr. Allen required Villa Chardonnay to pay him for escrow fees, attorney fees and other related real estate transaction expenses. Although the fees were paid, Mr. Allen provided none of the services or funding as promised. He willfully stole the money from the non-profit, jeopardizing over 300 animals and horses that live at the sanctuary.

“ ‘Without this funding we will not be able to close on the property,’ said Executive Director Monika Kerber, ‘and the animals will have no place to go. The animals we provide sanctuary for are the discarded, sick and formerly abused. They come to Villa Chardonnay to finish out their lives, otherwise they will be destroyed.’

“Mr. Allen came to know Villa Chardonnay through a friend of his who relinquished a horse. After visiting the property, Ron Allen offered to assist in the $1.4 million financing and real estate transaction necessary to purchase the thirty-one-acre Hemet property. He provided falsified documents and related materials to establish his credibility.”

Local concerns and activity

On the Julian Connection Facebook page on Friday, Heidi Redman posted the following, which includes accusations that have not been vetted or verified:

“I’m going to put this out there because there’s a lot of information swirling around concerning the horse and Animal Sanctuary that had all of its animals removed today by the humane society. I know the owners of this organization and I’ve been on their property many times. And I can tell you with my hand on a Bible that those all of those animals were well taken care of and I know for a fact how much they love them all and would do anything for those animals. But they had a person from another rescue in Northern California that had a lot of money and had a vendetta against them over a donkey. And then there was another person that scammed them out of roughly half a million dollars. They they trusted the wrong people. And it cost them everything. But I can tell you this with complete certainty they are wonderful people and they loved those animals with all their hearts and souls.”

With the influx of hundreds of animals, many which may need intensive medical care and rehabilitation, the timing of the rescue presents a significant challenge for the San Diego Humane Society. The organization is currently operating well over capacity at its existing local shelters, a common trend across California animal welfare groups in recent months, and a challenge at the County Department of Animal Services sites around the region as well.

SDHS officials are making an urgent plea to the San Diego community for immediate assistance. Visit https://sdhumane.org/[4] to find out how to help. For those interested in tracking the progress of the rescue or looking for ways to directly assist, the SDHS has established a webpage at sdhumane.org/julianrescue[5]

To help the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services, visit here[6].

 

 

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/massive-rescue-underway-hundreds-of-animals-seized-from-julian-sanctuary/

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