Two-pet policy in the works

By Nathan Toohey

The crazy old lady with a flat full of cats may find herself facing some serious fines. City Hall has a new law in the works restricting the number of cats and dogs allowed in municipal housing.

Moscow's Housing, Public Utilities and Municipal Development Department has proposed to limit the number of domestic pets that can be kept in any given apartment to no more than two cats or two dogs plus their under-three-month-old offspring.

"Sometimes an obsessive love of animals results in neighbours' health suffering," RIA Novosti quoted Viktor Pchelovodov, deputy head of the city department, as saying at a Moscow State Duma legislative hearing last week.

The proposed changes would only concern unprivatised apartments. Such state-owned apartments are frequently inhabited by elderly pensioners who are intimidated by the bureaucratic procedure involved in privatising a flat.

The proposed fine for illegal animal hoarding was set at 4,000 to 5,000 roubles. However, Andrei Kochetkov, an adviser to the Moscow Lawmaking Centre, said there could be difficulties introducing the new rules, as the housing regulations concerning residents of unprivatised apartments fell under the control of the federal authorities.

The legislative hearing decided to continue working on the proposed changes..." Link

At least 15 cats, 10 dogs seized from Bloomington home

By Michele Steinbacher

BLOOMINGTON - At least 25 animals were seized Monday from a home on the corner of Seminary and Morris avenues.

McLean County animal control staff took at least 15 cats and 10 dogs from 1201 W. Seminary Ave., a home owned by Julie Hernandez, said George Boyle, Bloomington's assistant city attorney. He expected the total number of cats to increase when a final tally is released.

Specialists wearing protective gear loaded pet carriers and cages onto trucks. Bloomington police were on scene.

The Humane Society of Central Illinois in Normal was expected to care for the dogs, which included two adult dogs and eight puppies, said Boyle. The cats went to the county's animal control shelter.

Bloomington ordinance allows only three cats and/or dogs in a home, unless it is an approved kennel. Litters of kittens puppies younger than four months are exempt.

Pet owners also need to have proof of registration and vaccination for each cat and dog.

Hernandez faces possible fines of $250 for each ordinance violation for each animal. Boyle said none had been registered or vaccinated.

Boyle said the city seized the animals only after a search warrant was issued Thursday. That followed failed attempts to solve the problem with Hernandez, first by discussion and later with a Sept. 18 letter.

"We were getting complaints not only about vehicles at the property, but also pertaining to a smell coming from the house," he said..." More

Shelter overwhelmed with cats from hoarding case

ATTLEBORO, Mass.—An animal shelter rescued more than 40 kids from a home in Attleboro.

“(The home owner) was getting foreclosed on. He was told ‘You have to be out and you can’t leave the cats behind or you’ll be charged with animal abandonment,‘“ said Ellaina Knight of the Friends of Attleboro Animal Shelter.

On Saturday, volunteers went into the home and rounded up the cats. Area rescuers were able to take some of them in over the weekend, however 28 still need homes.

“Surprisingly they’re in very good shape. Only a couple has sores. They all have fleas. All have probably have ear mites and they range in age from four months to four years,“ Knight said.

Currently, the shelter is caring for the cats inside a barn owned by one of the volunteers. However they can only stay there for a week.

“If every rescue out there took three, the problem would be solved,“ Knight said.

It’s a problem Knight said could have been avoided and an example of why owners need to be more responsible about the pets in their home.

“Don’t let things get out of control. Ask for help before it gets to a situation like this and spay and neuter your animals,“ she said..." More & video

Psychologist to discuss hoarding treatments - Oct 12, 2009

NAMI Marin will sponsor an event addressing the causes of and treatments for hoarding and cluttering. The speaker will be Dr. Alexandra Matthews, a Mill Valley cognitive-behavioral psychologist. The free event is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 12 in Marin General Hospital's ground floor conference room. For information, call 415-444-0480. Marin General Hospital 250 Bon Air Road Greenbrae CA 94904 Please call the number above for details

Four of 87 seized dogs returned to woman

BASTROP, Texas, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- A 57-year-old woman in Bastrop County, Texas, was reunited with four of the 87 schnauzers seized from her home in June, authorities say.

Bastrop County Assistant District Attorney Mary Beth Scott said while Jan McGill still faces cruelty to non-livestock animals charges, authorities were able to have McGill's home cleaned to acceptable levels to return four of the seized dogs, The Austin (Texas) American-Statesman said Monday.

The 87 dogs were taken from McGill's home on June 4 after animal control officer Sandy Perio noticed trash and feces throughout the Bastrop County house.

"Jan's not a bad person," said Perio, who had been responding to a complaint about the unsanitary living conditions in McGill's home. "Her dogs were not intentionally mistreated. Jan loved her dogs."

Scott said after volunteers helped clean up the Texas home, a justice of the peace allowed four of the animals to be returned to McGill in July.

"What we've been able to do on a civil level is monumental. It's been marvelous. She's been able to receive some help, get on her feet," Scott said.

The American-Statesman said nearly all of the remaining schnauzers once owned by McGill have been adopted into new homes..." Link

Wags 'n' Wiggles Seizure

Woman can’t have dogs back, judge says

Renee Roske, whose dogs were seized in a puppy-mill investigation, had petitioned for the return of six pets.

By Jackson Holtz

MOUNT VERNON — When Renee Roske showed up in court here on Monday, she already had obtained Snohomish County pet licenses for the six dogs she hoped a judge would return.

The Snohomish woman went home without her dogs.

Skagit County District Court Judge David Svaren dismissed Roske’s petition to reunite her with the small dogs — four toy poodles, a Yorkie and a Chihuahua — she called her pets. The dogs were among about 450 animals seized in January during a police raid on Roske’s parents’ home near Mount Vernon.

Hundreds of malnourished, sick and flea-infested animals were rescued from the Skagit County property as part of a puppy mill investigation..." More

September 27, 2009: Owner demands return of dogs seized in puppy-mill case

By Jackson Holtz

SNOHOMISH — Renee Roske wants her dogs back.

All six of them.

Romeo, Serena, Hottie, Fabio, Feebie and Chiqua, a Chihuahua who wore a pink collar with “Love” spelled out in rhinestones.

Roske is demanding Skagit County officials return her beloved pets. She says they were taken by mistake when investigators seized hundreds of malnourished, diseased and mistreated dogs from a home near Mount Vernon owned by Roske's parents.

Prosecutors say the dogs she's trying to get back — nine months after they were seized — may be the proof they need to file additional criminal charges in the puppy-mill investigation.

More than 600 dogs were rescued during January raids at two homes in Snohomish and Skagit counties. Court papers say Roske and her dog-breeding business Wags 'n' Wiggles raked in millions of dollars a year by selling the puppies.

Roske, 45, has not been charged.

Now, the six dogs — toy and teacup poodles, a Yorkshire terrier, and the Chihuahua — are at the center of a legal dispute. Roske filed a petition for the dogs' return on Sept. 10 in Skagit County District Court...." More

Recovered Border Collies Living In Muck

Dogs Seized From Sumner County Kennel

PORTLAND, Tenn. -- The Sumner County Sheriff's Department is investigating a border collie rescue operation in Portland, after finding about 100 of the animals living in filth.

According to Sheriff Bob Barker, investigators seized the animals after complaints surfaced about the conditions of the operation on North Center Point Road. Investigators have visited the operation before on similar allegations but have never filed charges against the owner and operator.

Scotlund Haisley of the National Humane Society said they recovered dogs that were living in a bathtub.

"These dogs are just living in muck," Haisley said. "I don't even want to call it mud. It's muck. It's a combination of mud, feces and urine. And you can smell me; imagine what the property smells like."

According to the sheriff, the kennel's owner, Richard Swafford, who also breeds the dogs, is reluctantly cooperating with investigators and reported he's had difficulties keeping up with the operation and maintaining a consistent staff of employees. He called Friday's raid a blessing.

Swafford said he was selling the puppies but that the money made off of those sales was spent on dog food and other medical care for those adult dogs that are often difficult to adopt out.

The Sheriff's Department spent much of Friday processing the kennel and the dogs. The U.S. Humane Society will help relocate the animals and may set up a temporary shelter in Sumner County or send the animals to out-of-state shelters.." More & video

A close-up look at a compulsive hoarder

By Anne Pickering

I recently had an up-close and personal look at someone who suffers from compulsive hoarding disorder.

Usually, the family discovers the house filled to the rafters with junk after the reclusive loved one has died.

In my case, it was my ex-husband, and he was alive — if not exactly well.

The house we had shared for 10 years during our marriage and that he kept after the divorce was in foreclosure. If he didn't act, he would lose the house and his means of making a living.

He had never let me back in the house in the 14 years since the divorce and I suspected it was because his house was a mess. But I never suspected the full extent of his issue.

The junk was piled almost to the ceiling in one room after another in the five-room apartment. The only way to get from one room to another was on a narrow path of trash that was two feet deep and crunched ominously as you walked on it. The smell was bad.

In the hallway and front room, the junk was mostly tools and supplies tucked into canvas bags or drywall buckets. There was new clothing never taken out of its original bag, new cookware in the original box, new gadgets. There were expensive items such as a $2,000 kayak under boxes filled with rusted cans of paint.

In the back of the house, a gutter had collapsed and rainwater flowed down the back wall, eventually washing out the back door and rotting the floorboards and floor beams. A blue tarp was nailed over the opening where the door had once been. In the bathroom, there was a four-foot-high mound of newspapers, unopened mail, grocery store fliers and magazines that created a semi-circle around the toilet..." More

Why People Hoard Stuff

Jane Collingswood

Is compulsive hoarding inherited?

People who compulsively acquire and hoard clutter to the extent that it impairs their daily activities are labeled "compulsive hoarders." The condition is classed as a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), present in 30 to 40 percent of individuals affected with OCD. It may damage relationships, cut the individual off from society, and even endanger lives.

Compulsive hoarding is distinct from bad planning and disorganization because it is believed to be a pathological brain disorder. It is often a symptom of other disorders, such as impulse control disorder orattention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Bereavement or another significant life event can trigger excessive hoarding behavior.

Hoarding often runs in families, but it is uncertain whether DNA is involved. "People with this problem tend to have a first-degree relative who also does," says Randy O. Frost, Ph.D., a psychologist at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. "So it might be genetic, or it might be a modeling effect."

Gene research suggests that a region on chromosome 14 may be linked with compulsive hoarding in families with OCD. The study, carried out by a team from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in March 2007, analyzed samples from 999 OCD patients in 219 families. Families with two or more hoarding relatives showed a unique pattern on chromosome 14, whereas the other families' OCD was linked to chromosome 3.

This was the third study to find genetic markers specifically associated with compulsive hoarding, according to Sanjaya Saxena, M.D., director of the University of California, San Diego, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Program..." More

When too many is still not enough: animal hoarding

FLORENCE, AZ – Pinal County Animal Care & Control, as a member of the Central Arizona Animal Cruelty Task Force, is partnering to provide a workshop on animal hoarding. The workshop will be October 30 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Holiday Inn at 777 North Pinal Avenue in Casa Grande.

“Animal hoarding is a national problem and we’ve certainly seen cases here in Pinal County,” said Ruth Stalter, Director of Pinal County Animal Care & Control. “One of the worst cases ever was the Apache Junction couple who were attempting to care for 185 animals. We assisted Apache Junction Animal Control in that rescue effort and eventually found homes for all but the sickest animals.”

Hoarding often begins with good intentions, Stalter explained. “Then at some point, this 'I-have-to-save-them-all' mentality kicks in. That’s where the trouble begins.”

Stalter also said that many hoarding situations have a mental health component to them, one reason the October event will feature a presentation by Dr. Philinda Hutchings. Hutchings is Program Director and professor of Clinical Psychology at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona.

Other speakers include Kimberley Intino, Director of the Human Society of the United States Shelter Services Program. She will give a national perspective and overview of animal hoarding during the morning sessions.

Marsh Myers, Director of Community Outreach for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in Tucson. He has served on the Animal Cruelty Task Force of Southern Arizona and will discuss the difficulties of investigating hoarding situations.

“The goal of this event is to inform shelter operators, animal control officers, private agencies and other interested parties about the problem of animal hoarding,” Stalter said. “We also want our attendees to learn ways to effectively prevent the problem or deal with situations as they become known.”

Other workshop partners include Against Abuse, Inc of Casa Grande, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and Petsmart Charities. There is a registration fee of $65, payable to Against Abuse, Inc. The registration form is posted at http://www.against-abuse.org/id19.html and at www.pinalcountyaz.gov(you’ll need to select Animal Care & Control from the All County Departments menu)..." Link

Couple told to clean up

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 19 (UPI) -- Anchorage, Alaska, officials told a couple to clean the junk out of their yard or the city will have it done for them and the couple will get the bill.

David and Jane Szabo of the Bear Valley neighborhood face a hefty charge if they do not meet the latest deadline, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Officials have told the couple they will get a break on fines if they clear the yard by next Tuesday, but if they don't they could be stuck with the full amount, $226,000, plus thousands more for the cleanup.

The yard holds at least 10 vehicles, the newspaper said, along with cement-mixing machinery, gym lockers, pallets and stashes of glass, plywood and wire. A dog was chained to a sport utility vehicle.

Officials said the city has been trying since 2002 to get the Szabos to remove the junk.

Leonard Stanley, who lives across the street, said he tried to talk to David Szabo years ago to let him know neighbors did not like the mess.

"He says 'This is my property. I can do anything I want.' And I didn't bother from then on," Stanley told the newspaper. "And he's a nice guy. Believe it or not, I like him. But I don't have to like that."..." More

More Than 80 Animals Seized From Payne County Woman's House

By Jacqueline Sit

OKLAHOMA CITY -- One woman is facing charges of animal cruelty after more than 80 pets were rescued from a run-down home in Payne County.

Officials said the condition of the house was so poor that the pet owner, Marty Middleton, lived in a car outside the home.

Michelle Magby assisted in the rescue and said the animal's living conditions were very upsetting.

"I went down there and helped rescue these babies and they were all scared to death, and they didn't want to be caught and all running around like crazy," Magby said. "It broke my heart to see what kind of condition they were living in."

Sheriff's officers and animal control found nearly 85 dogs and two cats in and around the house living without water and barely any food.

"They were in mud and feces probably six to eight inches deep," said Payne County Gary McKinnis. "They were in small pet carriers. Some of them had litters. There was cockroaches, pretty rough conditions."

Six dogs had to be euthanized because of health issues. Many are in foster care at local animal shelters including in Perkins.

"Dogs are man's best friend, and you should take care of them because they'll sure take care of you," Magby said.

Middleton now faces one count of animal cruelty. Authorities said more charges could follow depending on the ultimate condition of the animals.

Middleton was previously found guilty in similar cases in both Missouri and Arkansas.

The pets will likely be put up for adoption once they are nursed back to health.

Oklahoma State University veterinarians have stepped in to help with the animals' rehab..." More

Animal Hoarding Workshop

FLORENCE, AZ – Pinal County Animal Care & Control, as a member of the Central Arizona Animal Cruelty Task Force, is partnering to provide a workshop on animal hoarding.

The workshop will be October 30 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Holiday Inn at 777 North Pinal Avenue in Casa Grande.

“Animal hoarding is a national problem and we’ve certainly seen cases here in Pinal County,” said Ruth Stalter, Director of Pinal County Animal Care & Control. “One of the worst cases ever was the Apache Junction couple who were attempting to care for 185 animals. We assisted Apache Junction Animal Control in that rescue effort and eventually found homes for all but the sickest animals.”

Hoarding often begins with good intentions, Stalter explained. “Then at some point, this 'I-have-to-save-them-all' mentality kicks in. That’s where the trouble begins.”

Stalter also said that many hoarding situations have a mental health component to them, one reason the October event will feature a presentation by Dr. Philinda Hutchings. Hutchings is Program Director and professor of Clinical Psychology at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona..." More

Hidden in Plain Sight: Stopping Animal Hoarders

by: Wayne Parcelle

William Hanson and his wife Tammy are again in trouble with the law—and, as animal hoarders, their pattern of illegal behavior is as highly predictable as it is unsettling. They were convicted of animal cruelty charges in Arkansas in January 2006, and then fled for Vermont. They resumed similar destructive behavior in their new state, and Mr. Hanson failed to appear in court after Vermont authorities visited his residence and found 30 dogs living there, including four locked away in terrible, unsanitary conditions. When police returned to the property last week, they found it empty. No dogs, no Mr. Hanson.

His wife is now in custody, fighting extradition to Arkansas, but Mr. Hanson is a fugitive.

I’ve previously described our post-Katrina emergency relief effort at Every Dog Needs a Home, the Hansons’ property in Gamaliel, Ark., in October 2005. Hundreds of animals were living in squalid, unhealthy, and dangerous conditions at what had become a classic hoarding operation. Tammy Hanson’s conviction and pre-sentencing disappearance provided momentum to the successful drive for a felony upgrade of the Arkansas animal cruelty law earlier this year.

In its various forms, hoarding jeopardizes the lives of several hundred thousand animals every year in the United States. Approximately 1,200 to 1,600 cases surface annually, a number we fear may be rising in light of factors that include the current economic downturn. Hoarding cases put a tremendous practical and financial strain on local humane societies and law enforcement agencies. When The HSUS stepped in to assist local law enforcement in the Hanson case, it cost us more than $100,000 to secure the site, stabilize the condition of the animals, and move them to shelters from which they could be adopted out..." More

Experts gather to discuss 'new addictions' — like shopping and Twittering

By Misty Harris

Has Grandma collected one too many cookie jars? She may need rehab.

Chronic dependence on things such as hoarding, shopping, playing video games and even using Twitter is being treated in Betty Ford-style clinics across North America, despite the fact not one of these so-called "new addictions" is officially recognized as a disorder — at least, not yet.

On Oct. 1 and 2, mental-health experts will gather at the Ontario Science Centre for one of the widest-ranging addictions symposiums ever held in Canada — an event that will see the proposal of clinical criteria defining where normal indulgence ends and disordered behaviour begins.

"In the past, you'd see people chasing the high with heroin or cocaine," says Linda Bell, CEO of Bellwood Health Services in Toronto. "Now, they chase the high with gaming, they chase the high with sex, they chase the high with shopping."

Although these modern-day maladies are frequently highlighted in the media — think Oprah's episode on sex addicts or bestsellers such as Confessions of a Shopaholic — there remains little research on their treatment, along with lingering skepticism over adding them to the canon of addiction.

For instance, sexologists have long argued that what some call "sex addiction" is actually normal activity required for the survival of the species. Others believe it's more likely a mental illness known as obsessive-compulsive disorder.

But Bell, the first Canadian to be appointed a Fellow of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators, says not only are these addictions real, they're being exacerbated by such things as Internet anonymity, ease of access and a stressful economy.

The challenge, according to Canadian addictions counsellor Anne McLaughlin, is that unlike chemical dependency, "process addiction" tends to have few detectable symptoms, with the behaviour either taking place in secret or being dismissed by family and friends as normal activity.

"It can be very isolating," says McLaughlin, who treats both sex addicts and their partners. "If someone drinks or takes drugs, at least it's visible."

Coleen Moore, spokeswoman for the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery — one of a growing number of centres that treat process addictions — says Internet addiction is responsible for six to 10 per cent of annual patient intake, food addiction for one to three per cent, sex addiction for five per cent, shopping addiction for two to eight per cent and hoarding for one per cent.

Each of these behaviours is under review for inclusion in the 2012 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a psychiatry gospel whose list of recognized illnesses has tripled since 1952.

Proposed DSM criteria for Internet addiction in particular will be presented at the Canadian symposium.

"Pathological gambling is in the DSM . . . and it really sets up a precedent for these other behavioural addictions," says Toronto psychotherapist Edith Townsend, pointing to diagnostic criteria such as preoccupation, unsuccessful efforts to cut back or stop, restlessness and irritability, using the behaviour to escape problems, lying and jeopardizing significant relationships. "It's a total escape from reality."

The clinical similarities, however, have not eased controversy around the impending recognition of such "addictions," with critic Christopher Lane, author of Shyness: How Normal Behaviour Became a Sickness, writing: "Conceivably, we might by 2012 reach a point where the American Psychiatric Association is defining more than half the country as mentally ill."..." Link

Oahu hoarding case

Sept 28, 2009: No cruelty charges for shelter

By Suzanne Roig

The Honolulu prosecutor's office has decided not to pursue a case against the surviving owner of a Leeward Coast animal shelter where more than 400 dogs, cats and birds were housed.

Norman Pang of Nanakuli had not been cited, arrested or charged for alleged cruelty to animals, but the Hawaiian Humane Society sought prosecution.

Pang, whose wife operated Animal Haven on the couple's property, died in July.

Pamela Burns, Hawaiian Humane Society chief executive officer, said she respected the prosecutor's office decision not to pursue the case against Animal Haven. The Humane Society forwarded all of its information to the prosecutor's office for determination, Burns said.

"Although we received numerous complaints, we were prohibited access to the property to conduct an animal cruelty investigation," Burns said in a prepared statement. "As a result our case was severely compromised. We stand by our decision to forward this case to the prosecutor's office for their determination about the strength and quality of the evidence to pursue a conviction."

In July, animal welfare agencies took control of the animals at the no-kill shelter that had been run by Pang's wife, Bonnie..." More

Sept 15, 2009: 'Haven' Animals Still Need Homes Amidst Dispute

by Tina Chau

A local shelter is looking for good homes for many dogs and cats that have sparked a legal dispute. Meanwhile, the animals' former caretaker is looking to clear his name as an alleged animal abuser.

Missy, a pit bull mix, along with Shasta and Sedona, a pair of female shar-peis are three of roughly 50 dogs and 50 cats still living at a temporary shelter run by the Oahu SPCA. It's been fundraising to raise the $20,000 a month needed to keep the shelter running, ever since Norman Pang of Animal Haven surrendered the animals to the local group in July.

It was such a large job that Oahu SPCA asked the Humane Society of the United States for help, which video taped the removal of the animals. Pang is now suing the society for ruining his reputation because the video posted on the group's website paints him as an animal abuser..." More & video

Sept 12, 2009: Waianae Man Says Animal Groups Defamed Him

Former Animal Haven Owner Files Suit

HONOLULU -- A Waianae man has filed a lawsuit against two animal groups he said defamed him.

Almost two months ago, hundreds of cats, dogs and fowl were rescued after Bonnie Pang, the woman who ran Animal Haven, died suddenly.

Her widower said he's being unfairly targeted for animal cruelty and has gone to court to get relief.

"I am sick and tired of their harassment -- their name calling," said Norman Pang, with Animal Haven.

For years, Pang and his wife Bonnie operated Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter.

The Hawaiian Humane Society unsuccessfully tried to pursue animal cruelty charges against the couple 14 years ago.

The longstanding simmering feud reignited when the group asked the city prosecutor to take up new animal cruelty charges.

The Waianae resident also pointed to the Web site of another group, the Humane Society of the United States. The organization is taking credit for its part in what it calls the largest animal rescue in Hawaii.

The group is using video taken the day Pang surrendered his rights to the hundreds of cats and dogs in his care. The Hawaiian Humane Society also makes reference to the Animal Haven case on its Web site.

"Abuser, murderer, they are calling me a collector, a hoarder and such names like that none of which are true. I am so tired of that I decided to file a lawsuit," Pang said...." More

Sept 4, 2009: Haven Co-Founder May Faces Cruelty Charges

by Ashley Nagaoka

An Oahu man who lost his wife and hundreds of his animals now says his reputation has been ruined. Norman Pang says the Hawaiian Humane Society has been out to get him for years, but the organization says the video of a recent animal rescue at his home speaks for itself.

A hoarder, an abuser, even a murderer. Those are just a few of the names Norman Pang says he's been called since the rescue at his Waianae home. He says he feels like he's been stabbed in the back.

"I feel so betrayed because I thought the Humane Society of the United States was coming in to help me," said Norman Pang, co-founder of Animal Haven.
.
After his wife died in July, Pang says he chose to give up more than 400 animals at his non-profit "The Animal Haven."

The agreement, that the Hawaiian Humane Society be left out of the process because of his rocky history with the local organization. So a crew, from it's national office, was flown in to help instead.

"When they came on my property with the cameras I immediately asked them what they were doing, and the guy with the camera told me we're doing a training film," said Pang.

But Pang says that was all a lie..." More

Dispatch from the front lines: Oahu hoarding case

From Scott Haisley, senior emergency services director, HSUS

'' 'Welcome to paradise' we heard the airline attendant announce as our 13-hour flight finally touched down on the island of Oahu. For most of the travelers on our packed flight this would be a dream vacation of surf and sand, but our team had come to the big island for a very different purpose. Just 15 hours before we had been given the go-ahead to embark on the largest animal rescue in Oahu’s recent history – saving more than 300 animals from a West Oahu hoarder.

As we filed out of the plane the incredible image of translucent aqua water was still seared on the back of my lids, but my mind had already begun to conjure up the images of intense suffering I knew we would be facing during our rescue. My first order of business was to gather the assessment team, animal handlers and sheltering specialist that we had flown in and discuss the plan of action. Specifically the difficult task of building an emergency shelter for several hundred animals from scratch on an island with few necessary resources.

Luckily I sent a stellar assessment team down the day before to secure materials necessary to build the shelter. Usually on the main land our Animal Rescue team can simply have all of our sheltering supplies delivered to the site easily and quickly. That was not the case in Honolulu. Our logistics coordinator for the mission called Home Depot and incredibly had every piece of kenneling equipment and fencing on the island transported to our emergency shelter within hours. We cleaned out the inventory of every pet store on the island and all three Home Depots and just barely had enough to build our shelter. In a matter of less than two days our shelter went from barren warehouse to the facility we would need to house the rescued animals..." More

July 21, 2009: Hundreds Rescued in Suspected Hoarding Case More than 400 animals were rescued from a suspected hoarding situation at a West Oahu, Hawaii, property. The Humane Society of the United States and the Oahu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals collaborated with United Animal Nations, Hawaii Dog Foundation, CatFriends, Wild Bird Rehab Haven, Hawaiian Humane Society, Joey’s Feline Friends and Love A Cat Charity to conduct the rescue. The HSUS was called in to manage animal handling, transportation and shelter operation for the mission. "This may be one of the largest animal rescue missions in Oahu's history. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of multiple animal welfare organizations, these deserving animals now have the chance to find loving, life-long homes," said Inga Gibson, Hawaii state director for The HSUS..." More