Monday, July 26, 2010

ASPCA on Animal Hoarding with Dr. Randall Lockwood



Dr. Randall Lockwood joined the ASPCA in 2005 and is currently Senior Vice President of the ASPCA’s Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects. For more than 25 years, Dr. Lockwood has worked with humane societies and law-enforcement agencies, serving as an expert on the interactions between people and animals. He has testified in numerous trials involving cruelty to animals or the treatment of animals in the context of other crimes, including dog fighting, child abuse, domestic violence and homicide


"...[Comment from Stryker]
I read that some of these hoarders operate under the guise of "rescuers" themselves. Isn't there a way to more closely monitor how many pets a person has "rescued"?

Randall Lockwood:
Yes. We are seeing a growing number of "rescue hoarders" who take in many animlas but who make no effort to find homes for them and often keep them in very poor conditions - unlike legitimate rescue groups. come may even have non-profit status and fancy websies - but the reality is that the situations for the animals is the same as other hoarding cases. I think about 1/4 of the cases we see are such "rescue hoarders".

Right now there are very few states that specifically set standards for rescue groups (Colorado is one) and the resources are often not there for a system of of inspection, also rescue hoarders often work through their own secretive network - rather than trying to help put healthy animals into loving homes..." More

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