Couple fined $700 after exotic animals seized from B.C. farm

A B.C. couple has been fined $700 and put on two years' probation after SPCA officers seized 87 animals from their farm, including a lynx, three parrots, 10 turtles, an alpaca and an assortment of 70 rabbits, hedgehogs, chinchillas, gerbils and mice.

Michelle Kuberski and Kenneth Bunker pleaded guilty to charges of animal cruelty and were sentenced last week in a Dawson Creek court, according to a statement released Monday morning by the B.C. SPCA.

The court instructed the couple to provide the SPCA with a list of all the remaining animals on their property and to grant the organization access to inspect the animals with only 24 hours' notice.

The SPCA was first called to the property in northeastern B.C. after receiving a complaint of animal neglect and hoarding..." More

Man arrested for hoarding animals

by Dann Cuellar

GRAYS FERRY - Officials say even if the suspect thought he was doing right, he was doing wrong, terribly wrong, and now faces charges of cruelty.

He believed he was protecting the animals. Officials say he was oblivious to the stench and squalor conditions. And when the act of loving animals turns to hoarding animals, officials say it is hardly recognized or understood by neighbors and relatives.

The animals arrived at the PSPCA, some of them were emaciated, two of them bloodied after an apparent dog fight. In all, 12 dogs, 4 cats and one turtle were being housed in a row home in the 1300 block of 29th Street by a 42-year-old man.

The PSPCA was responding to a call of a possible dog fighting operation being run out of the row home. It turned out not to be but what they found officials say was typical of a person who hordes animals.

"The whole house was just totally covered in urine and feces, I mean it's just a mess inside," said George Bengal of the PSPCA.

Officials say the man appeared to be in complete denial of the squalor or the lack of care the animals were receiving.

According to a Tufts University study there are 1500 new cases of animal hoarding reported each year in this country. And yet, it is a poorly understood phenomenon. Often times, neighbors or relatives fail to recognize the signs. Animal hoarders are generally elderly but officials point out this man was only 42.

"This is a little unusual; usually you don't find someone quite this young being a hoarder."..." More & video

SPCA Investigating Animal Hoarding In South Philly

Over a dozen animals have been seized from a South Philadelphia home as what SPCA officials are calling a case of animal hoarding.

The SPCA was called to a Grays Ferry home Monday evening after reports of two dogs fighting on the porch. Inside, officers discovered 12 dogs, three cats and a turtle.

Authorities said there is no suspicion of dog fighting, but the homeowner could face other charges.

The two dogs found fighting on the front porch are said to be in need of treatment. The incident remains under investigation..." More & video

Animal hoarding confounds police departments

Authorities say they try to get help when they find hoarders

By Wendy E. Normandy

Oak Lawn police responding to an odor complaint were not prepared for what they found in a 68-year-old man's apartment earlier this year.

Ninety-five turtles and tortoises of various sizes were crowded into a dozen or so plastic storage tubs half-filled with dirty water. There also were 20 newts, 12 salamanders and numerous other reptiles, plus as many as 100 dead turtles and the remains of an 18-inch-long alligator, police said.

Rescue workers knew immediately what they were dealing with: an animal hoarder...

Oak Lawn Deputy Police Chief Roger Pawlowski said officers try to tread carefully.

"We often try instead to get them to agree to relinquish the animals in lieu of being charged with animal cruelty," he said. "If we can get the animals relocated to a shelter, it gives us more time to address the situation with the hoarder and, hopefully, convince them to get help."...

Experts say counseling and close monitoring are needed with a hoarder to prevent recurrence. "The relapse rate can be near 100 percent. ... If allowed to relocate, they often start the collecting process all over again," said Dr. Phil Heller, a Florida-based clinical and forensic psychologist who is an obsessive-compulsive disorder specialist.

As for how to detect hoarders, Estrada said she would like to see people become more aware of what goes on with their neighbors. "If they suspect that someone is having a problem with their pets, whether they suspect they are hoarding or not, it's easy to make an anonymous call to authorities or the welfare league and bring it to someone's attention," she said.

Signs of a hoarder include window shades that are kept closed all day, excess newspapers and numerous bags of litter in garbage cans, and odors coming from the house or backyard. "All we're asking people to do is make that initial phone call if they suspect any type of animal abuse," Estrada said. "We'll take it from there."... More

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92 live pets, 16 dead found in Gainesville home

By Lise Fisher, The Gainesville Sun

Animal control officers seized more than 90 animals Wednesday from the home of a Gainesville woman who apparently had been hoarding the pets.

The animals, most small dogs, were discovered at the home on the 400 block of NW 31st Lane when a search warrant was served at the residence.

Investigators found 92 live animals at the single-story home, including dogs, cats, a bird and a turtle, according to county's Animals Services Division. They also located 16 dead animals, most of them dogs.

Officials had been attempting to work with the woman regarding the care of her animals for at least a year, but the situation had reached a point where she refused to cooperate with them, said David Flagler, the agency's director.

When officers arrived at the home, they discovered almost twice as many animals as they had expected. Most of the animals appeared underweight. Some were emaciated... More

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