Animal hoarders

[josie1918]

I recently had the obligation of filing complaints with several agencies due to over 30 dogs in a small confined area, all malnourished, NONE spayed or neutered, mange, open infected draining wounds etc. In an effort to understand these people (I still don't) I did some research that I found interesting, thought it might give all of us some insight.

Signs of an Animal Hoarder
By Jan Thomas
Animal hoarders can be overwhelmed caregivers, rescuers or sociopaths. Go inside their minds and learn what to do if you suspect hoarding.

Just how long Barbara Onderdonk had been hoarding Shetland sheepdogs is unknown. What is known is that she stored dogs like throwaway clothing in her garage in Buncombe County, N.C., and that ultimately, it was someone from her local animal hospital who turned her in.

According to court records, an unnamed veterinary hospital employee contacted the Asheville Humane Society after treating one of Onderdonk’s dogs that was “malnourished, dehydrated, severely underweight, anemic and had died.” After visiting the premises, animal control officers removed 25 dogs and two cats from the woman’s care. Most of the dogs were found in the garage, where they lived in carriers and crates stacked one on top of the other and were caked with feces.

In the world of animal hoarding, where abusers often acquire hundreds of pets before judicial intervention, the Onderdonk case is hardly extreme. However, it does cast a spotlight on the role that neighbors and friends can and should play in eradicating this confusing phenomenon.


Today, we understand animal hoarding to occur when someone is:

Unable to provide minimal levels of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care
In denial about both his or her inability to provide care and about the impact of that failure on the animals, their home and other people who live on the property
A one-size-fits-all approach does not work with animal hoarding. Nevertheless, hoarders do share some characteristics, for instance:

Most are female
Most live alone
Almost half are 60 years of age or older
In almost 70% of investigated cases, animal feces and urine are present in the hoarder’s home
Sick or dead animals were discovered on the premises in 80% of the cases; and in 60% of these cases, hoarders denied there was a problem
Gary Patronek, VMD, PhD and founder of the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC), cautions against generalizing based on gender or living conditions. Instead, he says most hoarders fall into one of the following categories:

Overwhelmed caregivers: These people begin rescuing or helping animals in a small way, acquire pets passively and become overwhelmed when their growing animal population combines with a significant negative change in lifestyle. People in this category tend to be the most willing to consider downsizing.
Rescuer hoarders: Most people in this group are driven by an extreme sense of mission. Patronek says they likely “have a profound fear of death and loss. Caring for animals provides a strong sense of identity; losing the animals or losing control is a loss of who they are.” Negotiated settlements, sometimes coupled with the threat of prosecution, work best here.
Exploiter hoarders: “These people may be true sociopaths,” Patronek warns. “They have no empathy for people or animals. They are manipulative, cunning, very shrewd and can be quite vicious. You’re probably going to have to prosecute them with every trick in the book to have any chance of successful intervention.”
In addition, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) cites these signs that may indicate someone is an animal hoarder:

They have numerous animals and may not know the total number of animals in their care
Their home is deteriorated (i.e., dirty windows, broken furniture, holes in wall and floor, extreme clutter)
Animals are emaciated, lethargic and not well socialized
Fleas and vermin are present
They are isolated from the community and appear to neglect themselves
If you suspect a hoarding situation, call your local humane society, animal control agency, police department, animal shelter, animal welfare group or veterinary hospital to initiate the process. You may not want to get the person “in trouble,” but a telephone call may be the first step to getting that individual and the animals the help they need.

This article originally appeared in Trends magazine.

[Fundog]

I've been watching the series, "Confessions: Animal Hoarders," on Animal Planet. It's fascinating! (and sad and disgusting, and heart-wrenching).

[wvvdiup1]

I've seen that show, too, and I feel the same as you do!

[OhioRuthie]

I've watched that show and keep expecting to see this lady from a parrot message board I use to frequent a few years ago...she lives in the new england area on a farm with over 150 unwanted parrots and still taking in more..people on the board even said they'd leave their parrots to her if something happened...Its just her and her husband..retirement age...I just don't see how they can possibly be okay. I heard the parrots have the upper part of the farm house. I have three parrots...and they are a handful....even with two people I just don't see how they can possible care for that many birds..they said they don't breed them. I just don't see how they can socialize that many...with my three they are talking nonstop from when they get up til they go to bed..interacting with the dogs and cats too. They all need attention.

I also once talked to a lady who was part of the transport railroad...I had the drop off of the dogs to her...she was taking them to someone else..she said she had several and rotated them out of carriers throughout the day...she got really angry when I questioned her on it.

I'm grateful for this show...the rescuers who laugh at me for having just ten animal compared to their 70...its not cool to throw out those high numbers anymore...I had to tell a dog warden no once...he wanted to bring me a dog with seven puppies and I was already full at the time..taking the dog and puppies would have made 14 dogs and five cats in my house(didn't have parrots at that time). I said no and he said they could set something up for them in the basement...I again said no..I said isn't there some kind of ordinence he said any complaints would go to him so its not a problem. I said no and found him someone to take the dog and puppies. So I can see how people end up drowning in animals if they don't know how to say no. It does hurt when people say I don't really care about animals when I turn them away...but at least now I have a show I can point to so they can see what happens when people keep taking in 'just one more'!

[Nettle]

I have come across quite a few of these cases. It is all very sad, and all very easy. I can see how people just become overwhelmed and then their mindset slips just enough for them to think that the way they keep the animals is "normal".

I also know how easy it is to acquire extra animals. I have to have a strong nerve to resist acquiring more (we have four dogs, three hens and six ferrets) because people feed you hard-luck stories and try to emotionally blackmail you into having their cast-off animals - he'll be put down if you don't have him - and if you do take the animal, they'll get another one within weeks -

It's another human mental illness, sadly. And the animals always pay dearly. And what happens with the people after they are prosecuted? Is there any help for them? Because they need it too.

[OhioRuthie]

I have come across quite a few of these cases. It is all very sad, and all very easy. I can see how people just become overwhelmed and then their mindset slips just enough for them to think that the way they keep the animals is "normal".

I also know how easy it is to acquire extra animals. I have to have a strong nerve to resist acquiring more (we have four dogs, three hens and six ferrets) because people feed you hard-luck stories and try to emotionally blackmail you into having their cast-off animals - he'll be put down if you don't have him - and if you do take the animal, they'll get another one within weeks -

It's another human mental illness, sadly. And the animals always pay dearly. And what happens with the people after they are prosecuted? Is there any help for them? Because they need it too.

OMG I've so heard the one about how they are going to put the animal to sleep if I don't take it...I believe in a great afterlife so I just respond with,"Wow then they are going to a much better place than I could ever give him/her". These remarks may be why some people get mad at me for saying no. I've never taken in throw away pets..only abuse cases..But really...I'm not Saint Francis..God didn't make me responsible for every animal on the planet. People who use emotional blackmail don't get any compassion from me. I love all animals I just love them enough to know when I'm at my limit which makes me not the best person/situation for them. I do offer up local shelter info some no-kill. Emotional blackmailers are often selfish lazy impulsive people who look for an easy way out...and again not something people take very well when I say it to them...never their fault...they meant well..see I really believe we should be allowed to slap stupid.

As for the people on the show getting help..it seems most aren't prosecuted and all are offered therapy.

[thepennywhistle]

As for the people on the show getting help..it seems most aren't prosecuted and all are offered therapy.

On the show, yes. In real life...not so much. I have been accused of being a hoarder,
and the reality was much different to the compassionate support found on that show.
And they weren't even my cats!

ME: Age 60. Female. Live alone. Has cats on the property. Feces in the house (litter box).
Sick animal in house (15-year-old cat with polycystic kidney disease). Yup, I must be a hoarder.

The actual hoarder lived next door to me with about 40 freely breeding cats. She died
unexpectedly, and her next of kin dealt with all the cats by throwing them out of the house,
locking it up and then going back to their homes, leaving them to starve. I couldn't stand
it, so I started feeding them all, and then placing those I could. No rescue organization will
help with feral to unsocialized cats, and the local humane society was billing itself as a 'no kill'
shelter and wouldn't accept anything they couldn't adopt out -- certainly no feral cats. Just
would not. And for the adoptable cats they would accept, they wanted $50 a cat. Oh, and
if you feed it for more than a week, you are legally considered the owner. Isn't that lovely?
The neighbor on the other side of the hoarder jumped in and with her help (and deep pockets)
we started trapping them for spay/neuter and rerelease, so at least the numbers stopped
going up. Things were looking to be at least under control.

And then a neighbor's child came onto my property, into my garden shed and found a long
dead,mummified kitten that I didn't even know was in there. (I only go in there when I need
to dig out the lawnmower.) She ran home screaming. Her mom came and had a look, then
called Animal Control. Suddenly I had people swarming over my property, demanding to see
every animal on the property, threatening to seize every animal on the property, and arrest
me on the spot. It was terrifying. They eventually were satisfied after the inspections and
explanations with bullying me, checking shot records, making great sweeping threats of what
they could legally do to me (not that they found any thing wrong), and making me clean out
the shed. When I asked the animal control officer if they would help me with the cats, they
refused. When I asked them to take the cats, they refused. When I asked him what I was
supposed to do about all the cats, as I no longer wanted the responsibility if it opened the
door to visits like the current one, he just shook his head and said "I don't know." He did
remind me that it was illegal for me to kill them (as if I would!). So I was stuck with them,
and Animal Control reserved the right to reappear and inspect and threaten my animals
at any time.

The local cat colony control solution appears to be coyotes. Not one I would choose, but it is
effective. Our colony of over 40 is now down to 7 fixed cats, which is easily manageable and
costs not too much to feed, nothing like the $100 a month it used to be. I expect that soon
the colony will be no more. I will miss the cats, but I will not be sorry.

They do not treat people in real life the way they do on the show -- at least not here. Just so
you know, it's traumatic and they are not neither compassionate nor helpful where I am. It has
been years since Animal Control's visit, and I still feel traumatized and fearful for my animals,
with all my gates padlocked and no trespassing signs all about. This happened to someone I
worked with, who fostered rescue dogs in his very clean, very loving home. Someone called
and complained because he had 6 dogs on the property and he was only allowed 4 (can we say
litter of puppies?). Again, Animal Control found nothing wrong and left with only threats of
return, but my friends were so traumatized by the visit and threats that he quit his job, they
sold their house, and moved out of state. Before you call the authorities on a suspected
hoarder, please be very sure the situation is what you think it is, and that it cannot be
resolved any other way.

[OhioRuthie]

As for the people on the show getting help..it seems most aren't prosecuted and all are offered therapy.

On the show, yes. In real life...not so much. I have been accused of being a hoarder,
and the reality was much different to the compassionate support found on that show.
And they weren't even my cats!

Before you call the authorities on a suspected
hoarder, please be very sure the situation is what you think it is, and that it cannot be
resolved any other way.

So sorry this happened to you. We have a guy in the neighborhood who takes care of all the stray cats..one neighbor said tonight they all look sick...but he is giving them medical care...we don't have a pet limit in my city..we should be we don't because some of the country is in the 'city limits' and we can't tell farmers how many animals they can have..at least that was what I was told as to why we don't have a limit.

Anyway..I got into it with an ambulance driver for how roughly they treated my terminal mom and the next thing I know...the health inspector showed up..he was really nice and totally cleared me...he was really annoyed with the complaintant and said he was going to call them as soon as he got back in the office for wasting his time. He apologized for taking me away from my mom. I even got an apology from the boss of the ambulance company for the behavior of his employee..the company was out of business the following year so many complaints even in midst of emergencies people were asking dispatch to not send those people. But I still have that in the back of my mind so I know what you mean about it haunting you. My mom was also in ICU and I had to be home with the inspector so it was time I could never get back..she died a few weeks later at home with hospice. She wanted to come home to die with the animals...her doctor said she thinks my mom survived longer because of the animals they were all she ever talked about...the doctor started to worry the my mom wouldn't live long enough to get home and wanted to find a way to bring the animals to my mom in the hospital. My mom said no she wanted to see them at home and came home with hospice. She was alert and enjoyed them for three days. To think the paramedic was being spiteful about my complaint of her being too rough with my mom and tried to cause trouble and take away my moms final joy. (I had even delayed a few adoptions so my mom could spend time with them before they left for their forever homes) I believe in Karma (not the dog-- but I believe in him tooLOL) so I know that girl will get hers if she hasn't already.

[Fundog]

I recently heard of a woman in my town who actually won the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes-- a million dollars.... she still lives in a mobile home.... she used the money to round up all the feral cats in the area, get them spayed and neutered, and filled her shed with bags and bags of cat food. She doesn't "keep" the cats, per se, but she does take care of them. That's what floats her boat. I wouldn't consider her a hoarder, but gosh, I sure wouldn't spend a million dollars on the neighborhood's feral cat colony!