Animal Hoarding: Part 1: What's the Problem?

Animal hoarding used to be regarded as a situation in which a well-intended rescuer got in too deep. With 900-2000 new cases occurring annually in the United States  (with records kept by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) indicating that the number of reported hoarding cases has more than doubled)and an estimated quarter million animals impacted, it is coming to be understood as a disorder and an illness—as well as a criminal activity. Based on the number of animals affected and the degree and duration of their suffering, hoarding is the number one animal cruelty crisis facing companion animals in the United States.

Hoarding is not just about having too many animals. It also involves the inability to provide proper shelter, sanitation, veterinary care, and nutrition for those animals, which may result in illness, starvation, and even death. While animal hoarders usually think they are helping their animals and maintain that any home is better than letting an animal die, Dr. Randall Lockwood, ASPCA Senior Vice President, Forensic Sciences and Anti-cruelty Projects says, "Being kept by a hoarder is a slow kind of death for the animal. Actually, it can be a fate worse than death."

Unfortunately, hoarders like many addictive or disordered personalities, do not conveniently wear a badge or have a standard appearance as a tip-off to their proclivities. They usually appear intelligent and think they are helping their animals. In addition, many hoarders can be successfully manipulative in deceiving others to believe their situation is under control.
Part 2 of this series addresses how to identify animal hoarders, and Part 3 examines the legal issues around hoarding. Part 4 offers suggestions on how you can help at both an individual and community level.