by: Webb Wright
Thirty-three dogs were rescued from a Crossville home, victims of what is being called a case of animal hoarding.
"I think that one of the things that the hoarding show that's been on television has done is that it has shown people that this is actually a mental illness and these people actually really need help. So more neighbors are now reporting people that have lived in these situations for years, so that they can try to get the help that they need, so they don't put animals in these situations," says Karen Walsh, executive director of the McKamey Animal Center.
The center received 10 of the rescued dogs, most of them Chihuahuas, who were living inside small crates in a shed with no ventilation, running water, or electricity.
"In some hoarding situations, there are some animals that are dead on the property or really in bad condition. In this situation these animals are in relatively good condition," says Walsh.
The center will check the dogs for any physical ailments, but in hoarding cases, it's often the emotional problems that scar the animal the most.
"A lot of them have never had any interaction with people so our caretakers and staff here try to work with these animals and try to get them used to being around other animals and people socializing them is a very important step," says Stefanie Douglass, Clinic Manager at the McKamey Animal Center.
McKamey officials say they see about 8-10 hoarding cases a year, and those involved often don't realize what they are doing is wrong...." More & video
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