December 24, 2007

Nearly 1500 animal hoarding cases are found annually with the same sad scene – urine and feces covering floors, malnourished dogs and cats that need to be put down and even dead bodies. Although hoarders are generally lumped into one category, there are different types of hoarders, each with their own behaviors.

It’s not about the number of animals one owns, it’s how the animals are cared for on a regular basis. An animal hoarder is someone who has an excessive number of animals and doesn’t provide proper nutrition, sanitation and veterinary care. Hoarders sometimes fail to accept the condition of their pets and their home, which can begin to interfere with their daily life, health and socialization. Typically, close friends or relatives should be able to tell when the act of owning and caring for an animal turns into hoarding. The key to preventing this is early detection.

According to a document recently released by a team of people from the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC), there are three types of hoarders: the overwhelmed caregiver, the rescuer and the exploiter. The overwhelmed caregiver initially cares for their pet and over time, realize that there is a problem. They may be socially isolated but accept getting help. The rescuer develops a compulsion to rescue animals with the belief that they are the only one who can. They find it hard to refuse new animals and steer clear of authorities. The exploiter wants animals to serve their own needs, deny the problem and reject help with the notion that they know best. They may make up excuses for their current circumstance but express no remorse. Some people will fit into a combination of these.

Another example that doesn’t fit into the other categories is the breeder-hoarder who initially breeds the animals and becomes overwhelmed with the number of animals and may not realize the severity of the situation. For instance, officials recently removed 237 dogs from the house of a 70-year-old woman in Corpus Christi, Texas who claimed she was breeding the dogs. A member of the city’s Animal Care Services department said the dogs had plenty of food and water but were covered in feces and urine. She said she thought the homeowner loved her dogs but the slow accumulation of dogs became too much for her to handle.

Some people become too embarrassed to admit having a problem and will isolate themselves – making it harder to seek help. If you know someone who may have a problem, the best thing for you to do is call your local authorities. They will have a better chance of intervening than you.

For a list of resources and more information about animal hoarding, visit animal hoarding.com.

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