Hoarding, Mental Illness and Animal Cruelty

By Doris Lin

Animal rights activists frequently lament the leniency of penalties in animal cruelty cases. For example, in 2009, Luis Alvarez in New Bedford, RI was sentenced to only 90 days in prison for killing his wife's 3-month old kitten in a jealous rage. In 2007, Ned Proffitt in Decatur, TN received a suspended sentence (the defendant serves no jail time as long as he stays out of trouble for a certain amount of time) for killing puppies with a hammer and paid only $2,000 in restitution.

Hoarding, however, is now increasingly recognized as a sign of mental illness, and courts are starting to treat it as such. Under a plea deal struck last week, Kenneth Lang Jr. in Dearborn, MI with over 100 live chihuahuas "in cramped and squalid conditions" and over 100 dead chihuahuas in freezers in his home will serve no jail time. Instead, he will serve five years probation in a pilot mental health court program..." More

Punish the offense or treat the illness?

By Tim Kalich

Our readers’ reaction last week to the rescue of several severely malnourished dogs was decidedly mixed.

One sentiment, arguably the most common, was one of outrage, calling for the prosecution of the animals’ owners on cruelty charges.

Another side felt that, as awful as the dogs appeared, the focus should be on getting the owners help. Their obvious mistreatment of the dogs may have been the sad but unintentional result of compulsive hoarding.

Then there were those, like me, who felt torn in the middle.

The picture of the emaciated dog, now known as Little Doll, produced feelings of disgust for anyone who would let an animal suffer like this. Little Doll didn’t get this bony overnight. It took weeks, maybe months of neglect to get to such a pitiable condition..." More

OPINION: How much do you love your pet?

Chase Strolenberg

Section: Opinion

Whether its dogs, cats, monkeys or rats, North America loves pets. But could this love be turning into something worse?

How does a student like myself react to television shows and news articles about pet-obsessed individuals? Usually with large amounts of interest and confusion.

What exactly constitutes a pet obsession? Let's try to hash out a definition. People that are pet-obsessed can be characterized into a number of different categories, but effectively they are individuals who prioritize the animals in their lives to the point of isolating themselves from the rest of human society. Some isolating factors can include bizarre worship or treatment of a single household pet, such as the act of a woman treating her dog like a child by throwing birthday parties for it and buying it new dresses.

Another example can be what is referred to as hoarding, which is the excessive collection of a single form of animal. The clearest stereotypical example of this is the cat lady; a woman that is emotionally involved with her numerous cats to the point that she actually begins to isolate herself from the rest of society in favour of interacting with her pets. This example is common, and has been reported in women as young as 20-years-old.

OPINION: Animal rescuers in denial about hoarding

By: Maryann Mott

Hoarding cases are once again making headlines.

This past week, humane officers with Second Chance Rescue Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, confiscated 22 cats and 15 dogs from squalid conditions at two properties in Yankton County. From the local TV station’s website:

Experts say pet hoarding is unique, because it starts out with someone who loves a pet so much, they want to bring it home. But when the situation gets out of hand, the very pets they love, are now put in danger.

It didn’t take long for humane officers with Second Chance Rescue Center to figure out what was going on inside the Yankton home.

Dana Wigg with Second Chance says, “It was a pretty awful hoarding situation is what it was. This person definitely loved all her animals, but she did not have the financial resources to be able to take care of them. it was pretty unfortunate.”

Via Behind Closed Doors: Hoarding Pets

Oh, please! Animal rescuers, like Wigg, are in serious denial when it comes to hoarding. Not only do I see quotes like this time and time again in other reported cases, I’ve interviewed way too many rescue people who make the same pathetic excuses as to why so-called ‘animal lovers’ are found with dead, and dying pets on their property.

It’s animal cruelty. Period. Stop defending them..." More

The Experience Project: Federal Regulations on dog ownership

Should there be any federal laws made limiting the number of dogs a person can own and house on their personal property?

Should there be any federal laws made limiting the number of dogs a person can own and house on their personal property? If so, do you think this would help to restrict the growth of puppy mills and to help cut down on animal abuse and neglect?

Click here to read Experience Project member answers