By Tom Moor
During a recent raid of an Elkhart County home, authorities seized 50 cats, many suffering from various respiratory illnesses.The cost to medicate the cats was $1,300, and many of them had to be put down anyway because of how sick they were.
Hoarding cases such as this are all too common in this area, officials say.
Elkhart County generally has two hoarding calls a month, said Anne Reel, director of the Humane Society of Elkhart County.
The problem, Reel said, is that hoarders themselves generally are caring people who actually believe they’re doing what’s best for the animals.
“Hoarding itself is a mental issue,” she said. “People who are hoarders are thinking they’re doing something to help the animals. But they get so caught up in collecting them, they disregard the health of them.”
Hoarding was one of the issues highlighted by local Humane Society officials recently while speaking about Animal Cruelty Awareness Month, which is being observed this month..." More
