Animal Hoarding

[Twisterdog]

Perhaps if others see that animal hoarding will no longer be tolerated, they might think twice before taking in any more animals.

I have dealt with quite a few hoarders personally over the past couple of decades, working with shelters and humane societies. Without fail every single one of them went on to hoard again, and again, at every opportunity. Some have done jail time, some have been court-ordered into mental health evalutations and counseling. And yet, given the slightest opportunity, the first thing they do is start grabbing up animals.

It sickens and infuriates me as much as the next person, but I've also talked to and dealt with these people personally. Not saying every person with too many animals is a true hoarder, but a true hoarder is mentally ill. They do not see reality. It's just as real a mental issue as bi-polar disorder or schitzophrenia ... one does not simply stop being mentally ill because they served jail time or paid a fine. It's not a choice they can make.

[lizbud]

It sickens and infuriates me as much as the next person, but I've also talked to and dealt with these people personally. Not saying every person with too many animals is a true hoarder, but a true hoarder is mentally ill. They do not see reality. It's just as real a mental issue as bi-polar disorder or schitzophrenia ... one does not simply stop being mentally ill because they served jail time or paid a fine. It's not a choice they can make.

I agree. No amount of fines or punishment will cure these folks.Anyone
who sees what their living conditions are and thinks that things are normal,
clearly has a skewed view of reality.

[Alysser]

I knew someone, who I guess you could call an animal hoarder. She at one time had 6 cats, 3 dogs, 4 ferrets, 3 guinea pigs, fish, and hermit crabs. Normally, I guess this wouldn't have been a problem but her parents could not afford the pets. Her ferret lived the last half of it's like with a giant tumor on his tail. Her guinea pigs cages were gross. Her house smelled of cat pee and there was hair LITERALLY everywhere, even in the food. It's not the most a hoarder can have but she couldn't handle it, and some of her animals suffered from it. They never could afford a "vet". they had AC called on them twice in the 8 years I knew her. I would consider them a hoarder just because they were over their limits and they knew it.

[Randi]

I do believe there is a mental health issue when it comes to hoarders. They take in all these animals because they probably love them and it soon gets out of control. Often, these people don't have the money to care for them properly, so I agree that they should get counseling and not be allowed to have more than a few animals, if any!

Concerning punishment for what they do... sadly, I don't think it will have an effect. However, the people who are not mentally retarded should pay the price!

I think it's amazing that neighbors don't notice these conditions and do something about it.

[snakemama]

I'll tell a quick story...A member of another board who I consider a friend recently crossed the line from collector to hoarder when they went through some large life upheavals and became too depressed to take care of themselves well, to say nothing of their animals.

Some local friends made the information public among other friends in the reptile community, and some wonderful people converged to HELP the person out. With CARE and SUPPORT as well as a firm stance about what was expected of them, all but a few of the animals are being re-homed VOLUNTARILY and other changes have been made to assure that this doesn't happen again. Someone stopped by the house today to assist with cage cleaning and taking pictures of the snakes to go with the online postings about finding them homes.

I also once worked with a rat rescue who worked with a hoarder, and that was...gut-tearing, heart-wrenching work. It had gone much farther than the first situation I talked about, and it was a BIG JOB.

In both cases, I really felt like we were tearing the heart out of the person we were trying to help. They both DID have the best of intentions, and they both DO love their animals dearly. In the case of the rat hoarder, we had to convince him that we were there with the animals' best interests in mind before we were allowed to even BEGIN helping. Baffling to me, because the alternative was animal control coming in and seizing all of his animals. With our help, he was allowed to keep a SMALL colony, while we worked on vetting/re-homing 900+ more. Our group worked HARD to help ensure that he didn't serve time in jail, then later to make sure he didn't keep getting more animals.

These experiences have shaped my opinion that what hoarders need is HELP. A firm but caring band of supporters who can get help for the hoarder and the animals, as well as follow up frequently to make certain that 1) The hoarder is still getting help and 2) Conditions in the home have not gone downhill again.

I'm of the firm opinion that "throwing the book" at hoarders does NOTHING to help in the long run. Both of these people were loving, caring, genuinely GOOD people who I feel privileged to have met. Mental illness carries enough stigma in our society, it's time to extend an offer of help rather than condemn people for acts that were not entirely under their control.

Unfortunately, most hoarders DON'T get the treatment/support/follow up needed. It takes a HUGE amount of compassion, as well as a lot of resources, to do such a thing. I don't know what the solution is, since so many hoarders are popping up everywhere now. It breaks my heart, for the people and the pets involved.

[kitten645]

Just a short note...my mother is a hoarder. Not of animals thank goodness but of everything else. Fining, throwing them in jail or any other form of what normal people consider "punishment" won't do anything. They are in a different world. You can correct the problem physically but it will only happen again regardless.
I do not understand it and it's frustrating as hell to deal with. I have seen tendencies in my siblings and myself to do the same and we are check points with each other to say "Enough"
Many hoarders are replacing emotions or people with things or animals. Unfortunately animals are living, feeling creatures. My mom's mom died when she was three. I'm sure there's a connection.
I'm just saying you can't judge before walking in those shoes...worse yet, in the shoes of those closest that have to deal with the consequences.
Claudia

[phesina]

I'll tell a quick story...A member of another board who I consider a friend recently crossed the line from collector to hoarder when they went through some large life upheavals and became too depressed to take care of themselves well, to say nothing of their animals.

Some local friends made the information public among other friends in the reptile community, and some wonderful people converged to HELP the person out. With CARE and SUPPORT as well as a firm stance about what was expected of them, all but a few of the animals are being re-homed VOLUNTARILY and other changes have been made to assure that this doesn't happen again. Someone stopped by the house today to assist with cage cleaning and taking pictures of the snakes to go with the online postings about finding them homes.
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These experiences have shaped my opinion that what hoarders need is HELP. A firm but caring band of supporters who can get help for the hoarder and the animals, as well as follow up frequently to make certain that 1) The hoarder is still getting help and 2) Conditions in the home have not gone downhill again.
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Unfortunately, most hoarders DON'T get the treatment/support/follow up needed. It takes a HUGE amount of compassion, as well as a lot of resources, to do such a thing. I don't know what the solution is, since so many hoarders are popping up everywhere now. It breaks my heart, for the people and the pets involved.

What made the difference for your friend is that she had people who knew her or of her and became PERSONALLY INVOLVED in both HER situation and that of the animals she had taken on. And they have carried on dealing both with her as a person and with her urges to take on more animals and will continue to do so as needed.

These kinds of personal saviors are not readily available to very many people in general out there, let alone to those in so much distress causing so much pain to innocent creatures. So how DO we solve this problem.. help these people and at the same time keep them from causing any more animals to suffer?