Hoarding - over 120 animals seized

Animal hoarding, sometimes referred to as "collecting", continues to
struggle with public misconceptions. Members of the community and even
law enforcement often view hoarders to be "someone who meant well but
the situation got out of hand," conjuring images of the sweet cat lady
down the street.

While their intentions may indeed have been
good, the reality of hoarding is far from sweet, and is often quite
horrific. Hoarders often have hundreds of animals in their home, living
in filth and without veterinary care. It is not uncommon to discover several hundred animals
in various states of neglect at one location. It is also very common to
find vast collections of other junk and garbage on the premises, as
well as many layers of feces throughout the home.

In the majority
of hoarding cases, the hoarder firmly believes not only that they have
done nothing wrong, but that the animals cannot survive without their
"care". In many instances, hoarders will even be reluctant to
relinquish the decomposing corpses of animals that died. Dead animals
are frequently found in the freezer or refrigerator, or even laying
around the house, embedded in the carpeting, etc. At times, dead
animals have been left in the home so long that they have become
mummified.

Hoarders may feel that they "love" animals, but they
can be blind to the fact that they are not caring for them responsibly
even in the face of starvation and death. Hoarders are usually unable
to bear the thought of euthanasia, but vast numbers of animals are
"saved" only to languish in a squalid, crowded environment where they
suffer from malnourishment, illness, inactivity, poor ventilation, and
lack of human companionship. Dogs and cats have been found kept in
cages, crates, hutches, and even kitchen cabinets, some even being
allowed to breed. Hoarders often cannot afford to pay for all the
spaying and neutering (not to mention the routine veterinary care)
needed for so many animals, so their collection grows until the filth,
stench, and noise attract the attention of neighbors or health,
sanitation, or humane officials. In some situations, the homes of
animal hoarders are so run-down and filthy that the local Department of
Health actually orders their homes razed to the ground.