In an attempt to learn the real reasoning behind animal hoarding, which has been a problem among some animal owners for many years, veterinarians and animal rights activists have taken their research to a new and heightened level. What has been discovered lives in the realm of the human psyche, and medical definitions for this type of disorder are compared to forms of dementia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and delusions. When animal hoarding as a psychological disorder is brought into the courtroom, it is much more difficult to hold an individual accountable for the neglect and cruelty that are often uncovered in such cases. The health and well-being of humans still far exceed that of any animal species and as such will leave the suffering of treasured animals without justice.
Animal hoarding is very different from blatant animal abuse or neglect, as the person involved is genuinely and deeply attached to the many animals they collect. This usually results in an absolutely dirty and unhealthy home environment for everyone involved, including the person suffering from this disorder. Most hoarded animals are never trained, bathed, or left outdoors, and those that are outdoors will be confined to extremely small places. As the clutter and animal population become more cumbersome, most of the hoarded animals will become ill due to malnutrition. There is rarely enough water or food, or enough energy from the owner, to take care of everyone. Smaller and weaker animals will fall more quickly into animal hoarding as the home environment becomes a matter of survival of the fittest.
Animal hoarding can be an ugly and discouraging discovery once the investigation and capture of the herd is done. In one horrific case, 376 cats were taken from a two-bedroom house, 87 of them dead. The emotional attachment and compulsion to keep these creatures lasts long after their death, and the owner will have to undergo a great deal of therapy to recover.
There are funded and private programs that will help people diagnosed with animal hoarding cope with their illness, reduce the number of pets they own, and help them financially to properly care for and feed any animals they may have. However, in extreme cases of animal hoarding, such as the one discussed above, the offending party is ordered not to care for pets until an improvement in mental condition is achieved. As with all disorders, relapses and uphill battles are eminent, so all pet transactions should be taken seriously and with great consideration. For the health and safety of both people and animals, local animal welfare workers will be dispatched to investigate any possibility of such problems when called.
