Animal Horders, your opinion please........

[foreverana]

Has anyone watched the show on TV, called animal horders? It has stories about people who have an outrageous number of animals, like 150 cats or 80 dogs. I think this is an awful dilemma. As much as I love animals, how can one do this? Heres a true story: :rant: I live in a duplex, my neighbor on the other side, has 14 cats. Several neighbors and I, called animal control, thinking this woman needs some help. She is a mature woman and mother of two. She has a bad flea infestation, which is spilling over into my side of the house, I have a shih tzu dog (2 yrs old), who has a severe allergy to fleas, when I got her as a pup, she had patches of skin with no fur, since she was literally ripping it out. After much care and medication from my vet, she improved, grew back her fur, and looks like a cute shih tsu. The vet told me there was a good chance she would grow out of some of it. He was right. However she has to have a special flea treatment, to keep from breaking out. I spent a good amout of money in vet bills, special flea treatment and medication, for her and was happy to see her improvement. This is all going downhill however, since she is getting bit, due to the fleas coming from next door. My two cats are faithfully treated with Advantage, and are house cats, before fleas were in the house, they never had fleas! Animal control visited this woman, and she informed the woman, she used Frontline on the cats and her dog, a large Akita, who is missing a good amount of fur on her hind quarters. I know she did not use Frontline, and lied to the Animal Officer.:indifferent: They did help her however, spay three female cats, she had so they would not keep breeding. They gave her food for the dog and her cats, since she informed the officer, she could not afford to get food for them. But what happens when she runs out of the cat food given to her, will these poor cats be hungry again? What then? :dunno: I also feel I must mention this is a small apartment she lives in, she does not let the cats outside, I was personally hoping Animal Control would remove some of the cats so that they may have nicer homes. To me, this is animal hording, and is most likely some sort of emotional disorder. However, the poor cats are still there, and my poor dog is getting bit, although the fleas won't live on her, since she is flea treated, it doesn't stop them from biting her, she is now chewing her front paws and ripping off the fur again, and again I have to ask my vet for another prescription. So anyway, I would appreciate any advice, opinions on this. I would love to better this situation for everyone, the woman, the poor kitties, and of course myself. Will be watching for your replies, please pm me, if you prefer. Thanks!

[**Sapphire**]

It does sound like you have a dilemma on your hands & it's not good.

I wonder if Animal Control have her under watch now that they were out there. I think they do have steps they have to go through before they can seize animals. Although I personally think they have a good case to take a good portion of her animals as they have fleas & now they are moving to other parts of the apartment.

Have you contacted your landlord? Maybe he/she can do something more as he/she is the owner of the building.

My best advice is to call Animal Control back again & tell them what is happening to your dog, how much extra money you are having to put out for your baby because of this woman's lack of control over her hoard of animals.

I've seen that new show on Animal Planet about hoarders & as you've seen on the show, those people can't control the animals. They can't afford them to the point of their utilities are turned off, the homes are falling apart around their ears etc.. It's sad that they think they are helping the animals, but I've often wondered if the animals would have been better off out in the wild where they were found in some cases than where they were.

[persian_kitty]

I can understand how people feel when it comes to hoarding animals. You see an animal on the side of the road and you can't help but wanting to take it home and take care of it. But the problem is most of us we don't do it because we cannot not take care of it. People like this think they are doing a good thing but what they do not realize is that they are hurting the animal probably more than if that animal was out on its own. Their mental state is skewed and they keep doing this until it comes to a point where it is doing as much harm to themselves as it is the animals, and even at that point they still think they are doing the right thing. They have an mental emotional problem and if they do not get help that is needed then the animals suffer and they themselves suffer. If you noticed on that show everyone of those people had some sort of health issue themselves and most of their health issues were either directl or indirectly related to the number of animals they had in their home. It is a mental problem that does need assistance in correcting.

[foreverana]

Thank you Persian Kitty and Sapphire, I think it is a good idea that I did have the animal control come up, and least if I have to call again, she will be familiar with the case. Its sad really, I have seen a few cats outside lately and they are pretty cats! But I know she does not have the funds to feed them properly or flea treat them, so you're right Sapphire, it is an ongoing dilemma. She did not pick up these cats because they were homeless, but had a few cats and they started breeding, and she did nothing to stop it. This in a way bothers me too, interbreeding is not good is it? I am going to talk to my landlord, and see what he can do. I'll keep an update on this, outside of what this is doing to my little shih tzu, I would love to see these pretty cats get a loving home that they deserve.

[**Sapphire**]

Yeah for sure keep us posted hun. :)

That's the problem I think alot of times with hoarders is they don't get their animals fixed & there goes the breeding.

I think interbreeding is OK, but not a reccomended thing with animals as the little 1's can wind up with genetic problems.

[foreverana]

Since Animal Control, arranged to have some of her female kitties spayed, (which is a great thing) she has started to let some of them roam around outside. This is unfortunate as well, I think. We live in a suburban area, and some of my neighbors have had their cats lost and never found, or come home beat up, coyotes get them sometimes or they get hit by cars. Mine are housecats, and they are quite happy that way.

[candy]

I've seen animal hoarders on Animal Cops and the state of some of these peoples houses is unbelievable. They are literally living in a pigsty with loads and loads of animals roaming everywhere. There is usually urine and poop everywhere as well. It's disgusting. I understand that for some people animals are all they have, but when it gets to the stage where your house is overrun with animals and your house is falling apart at the seams, then you need help.

When they go into these houses they have to wear protective clothing and masks because of the fleas and the smell. How can people live like that?

[Cat Condos]

I don't agree with animal hoarding. But the sad truth is like in this situation if they were taken to a shelter half of them would probly be put to sleep :(