Animal Cruelty & Hoarding: Is it still in the Mountain Communities?

by Candace Huskey

Animal hoarding jars communities across America on a daily basis with approximately 1500 new cases discovered each year, according to Gary Patronek, VMD, PhD,Tufts University. Thousands of animals suffer and die in squalid surroundings, devoid of adequate food and water, yet, the owners insist nothing is wrong. Standing in three inches of feces, breathing acrid ammonia in the air, and in plain view of dead and dying dogs, one woman said, “I never hurt any dogs, I love my babies. The fact is I protect them.”

According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), animal hoarding is one of the greatest causes of animal suffering in the United States, resulting in more injuries, suffering, and deaths to animals than intentional acts of cruelty perpetrated by animal abusers. This is significant since the actions of animal hoarders not only cause mass scale suffering, but cause animals to suffer for long periods of time...." More

Part 2: Why Do People Hoard Animals?

While studies confirm that the majority of animal hoarders are single women over the age of 60, contributing to the stereotype of the “crazy old cat lady,” hoarding is not restricted to any one age, gender, or socioeconomic group (Lockwood & Cassidy, 1988). In most cases, animal hoarders are found to be intelligent individuals, who are adept at manipulating animal adoption agencies and the legal system...." More