Animal Hoarding: Part 4: How Can I Help?

Part 1 of this series provided an overview of the problem of animal hoarding, and Part 2 addressed how to identify animal hoarding. Part 3 examined animal hoarding and the law. The fourth and final part of this series looks at what each of us can do to help the situation at an individual and community level.

If I think someone is an animal hoarder, how can I help?
If you are aware of a situation that may involve animal hoarding, here are some ways to help:

• First assess if it is hoarding. If someone has an unusual number of animals, but they are well cared for, it would not be considered hoarding. If the animals do not seem to be properly cared for, and you detect some or all of the characterists noted in Part 2: How to Identify a Hoarder, it probably is hoarding.
• If you are close to the person, talk to him or her about the problem. This will probably do little good because most hoarders are in deep denial that there is a problem. The hoarder will probably tell you that everything is fine. and the animals are loved and cared for.
• Call your local humane society, animal shelter, animal welfare group, veterinarian, or police department to initiate the process. You may not want to cause trouble for the object of your concern, but if he or she is hoarding animals, both the person and the animals are already in serious trouble. The sooner it is stopped, the better off all  concerned will be. Both the hoarder and the animals need help, and the animals may be at serious risk.
• Most hoarders have emotional and psychological issues, and typically do not have close human relationships. If the individual has friends or family, get them involved. Provide as much emotional support as possible for the hoarder, particularly as actions are taking to remove the animals and get help.
• Get social services, mental health agencies, or adult protective services involved, and  counseling for the hoarder. This is key since without counseling or similar help, the recidivism rate for hoarders is close to 100%. However, it might be difficult to accomplish this for someone who is in denial that there is a problem as most hoarders are.

How can I raise awareness of and deter hoarding in my community?

• Educate others about the misery involved in a hoarding situation through word of mouth and letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Animal hoarding has often been portrayed as an eccentricity—the elderly “cat lady.” The public needs to be made aware of the greater harm caused by animal hoarding.
• Lobby your state and local politicians to recognize hoarding as a serious issue and to enact legislation that gives power to citizens, animal control, law enforcement, and courts to legally address the problem with appropriate punishment and mandatory treatment.
• Alert the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) so they can track the case and offer professional assistance to local officials.
• Volunteer your time. When animals are removed from a hoarding situation, the burden on local shelters can be overwhelming. Volunteer your time to help clean cages, socialize animals, walk dogs, and perform other related tasks.