62 ducks found in abandoned van

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City man faces an animal neglect charge after 62 ducks were found in an abandoned van.

According to an Iowa City police criminal complaint, officers were called to the North Dodge Hy-Vee on April 25 for a bad smell coming from an abandoned U Haul van parked in the parking lot. Police said when they opened the van, they discovered 62 ducks inside. Nineteen of the ducks had died, police said.

Police said the ducks were crowded in feces and feather covered cages that had been stacked on top of each other. The ducks were dehydrated and undernourished and had no access to food or water inside the van, police said.

The ducks were seized by Iowa City Animal Control, given water and 'ate voraciously” when given food. An examination by a veterinarian confirmed the ducks had been neglected, police said.

As a result of their investigation, 69-year-old Francis J. Prohaska faces one count of animal neglect, a simple misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail.

Iowa City Police Sgt. Scott Gaarde said he did not know how Prohaska obtained the ducks, but 'his long-term plan was to take them to his farm.”

Iowa City Animal Control is continuing to investigate, Gaarde said.