What do you consider an animal hoarder?
- Thread starter asher
- Start date
As pointed out already the hoarding is really a mental illness. I have dealt with so many of these people. One lady actually emailed us asking about volunteering. She was wanting to help the rescue all she could. Turns out she had too many animals but was soliciting vets, rescues and everyone for more animals. We had to fire her as a volunteer becuase she would come to the rescue and steal animals. It was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen. Stealing animals from a rescue so you can resuce them
. After she took home some of our federally proteced wildlife I had to call the police to get them back. After she was arrested she emailed me again begging to be put back on the mailing list for fostering.
She really just coudlnt understand what she was doing was not in the animals best interest. There was no acknowledgement she just wanted to get right back on the horse after she got knocked off.
I also get called in frequently by animal control agnecies for hoading situations. The common thread fo them seems to be no food or care is provided, animals reproduce and get out of hand. The people seem hardly able to care for themselves and they and the animals live in awful conditions. Sometimes its just due to financial situations or age.
On case I did a few years ago the woman had turkey vultures living in her house as well as a ton of wild birds she rescued and turtles crawling all over the floor. Her excuse was that the rehabbers would euthanize a bird that coudlnt fly or walk and she would keep them. Of course most of her birds did have to be put down. Wild songbirds crawling around on the floor with no wings or feet covered in feces.
She had a pallet she slept on in the middle of the floor and it was the only thing that wasnt 3-4 inches in feces. If you ever been around vultures they are the smelliest birds.
I also get called in frequently by animal control agnecies for hoading situations. The common thread fo them seems to be no food or care is provided, animals reproduce and get out of hand. The people seem hardly able to care for themselves and they and the animals live in awful conditions. Sometimes its just due to financial situations or age.
On case I did a few years ago the woman had turkey vultures living in her house as well as a ton of wild birds she rescued and turtles crawling all over the floor. Her excuse was that the rehabbers would euthanize a bird that coudlnt fly or walk and she would keep them. Of course most of her birds did have to be put down. Wild songbirds crawling around on the floor with no wings or feet covered in feces.
She had a pallet she slept on in the middle of the floor and it was the only thing that wasnt 3-4 inches in feces. If you ever been around vultures they are the smelliest birds.
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- Jul 16, 2008
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Well I have 20 tortoises of various species that I took in through our rescue group or got off of craigslist from people who got tired of their pet tortoise.
I have 3 bearded dragons that I bought from someone who couldn't have them anymore.
1 Argentine black and white Tegu that was surrendered to our rescue because some woman's kid came home with it and she thought it was a snake.
4 ducks that were rescued from the side of the road (there were 16 but I kept 5 and one disappeared)
2 ducklings that hatched from eggs out in the compost heap.
3 cats -
Trouble-14 adopted as a 3 week old who was being abused by 2 yr old kids in a family. He almost drown when they wanted to give him a bath and they were feeding him milk from the grocery store.
Monster- Neighbor's cat had kittens and the boyfriend tossed them outside for their dog to eat. (Took in 6 and found homes for all but whenever Monster would be taken away he would bite and attack his new owners until they brought him back.)
Squidgey- Adopted from King County Animal shelter at the Reber Ranch "Adopt A Cat" program. She chose me as I was walking past her cage.
2 guinea pigs- 1 was brought along with the Tegu as food for the Tegu and the other was adopted in from a kid as a friend for the first one.
Their cages are cleaner than my house lol. They have the best food and always vet care when needed although I have to admit I've cut some corners and self medicated when I can diagnose the condition properly. In the event that I can't I immediately take them to the vet.
I have 3 bearded dragons that I bought from someone who couldn't have them anymore.
1 Argentine black and white Tegu that was surrendered to our rescue because some woman's kid came home with it and she thought it was a snake.
4 ducks that were rescued from the side of the road (there were 16 but I kept 5 and one disappeared)
2 ducklings that hatched from eggs out in the compost heap.
3 cats -
Trouble-14 adopted as a 3 week old who was being abused by 2 yr old kids in a family. He almost drown when they wanted to give him a bath and they were feeding him milk from the grocery store.
Monster- Neighbor's cat had kittens and the boyfriend tossed them outside for their dog to eat. (Took in 6 and found homes for all but whenever Monster would be taken away he would bite and attack his new owners until they brought him back.)
Squidgey- Adopted from King County Animal shelter at the Reber Ranch "Adopt A Cat" program. She chose me as I was walking past her cage.
2 guinea pigs- 1 was brought along with the Tegu as food for the Tegu and the other was adopted in from a kid as a friend for the first one.
Their cages are cleaner than my house lol. They have the best food and always vet care when needed although I have to admit I've cut some corners and self medicated when I can diagnose the condition properly. In the event that I can't I immediately take them to the vet.
Beekissed, I just read through this thread, that is a terriable burden you have been holding on yourself mentally. I agree that you can get a hold of the Humane Society or ASPCA as they keep thing annomoas (sp?) if nothing else contact the state Vet and/ or the news media and I agree they will get the ball rolling.
Please don't try to remove the animals you will leave yourself open for a law suit and much more if they wanted to press charges of trespassing and theft... You could take photos from the public road and ajoining properties as to not trespass. and Give those to the Humane Society or ASPCA, this has got to shake them up to take action.
I hope for your and your sister's sake she gets some help as this is a larger issue that needs to be dealt with. There are help groups out there. But this needs to start with helping the animals and showing her that it is best for her as well as the animals in the long run.
Best of luck with it all, I know it will be really hard on you but you are a good person for wanting to try to the best for your sisters sake.
Karan
Please don't try to remove the animals you will leave yourself open for a law suit and much more if they wanted to press charges of trespassing and theft... You could take photos from the public road and ajoining properties as to not trespass. and Give those to the Humane Society or ASPCA, this has got to shake them up to take action.
I hope for your and your sister's sake she gets some help as this is a larger issue that needs to be dealt with. There are help groups out there. But this needs to start with helping the animals and showing her that it is best for her as well as the animals in the long run.
Best of luck with it all, I know it will be really hard on you but you are a good person for wanting to try to the best for your sisters sake.
Karan
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That is soooo horrific! I can't even imagine how much pain and suffering the animal was in.
That is soooo horrific! I can't even imagine how much pain and suffering the animal was in.
This last fall winter and spring, I pushed my limit and had over 70 waterfowl here. Most were rescues or surrenders. I didnt want to adopt them out in the fall because of Thanksgiving, or in winter becasue of Christmas and New Years, then it was too cold. Then the homes weren't right. Excuses excuses.
I was worried that I would be featured on Animal Planet as the Duck Rescue Animal Hoarder of Oregon and that Buffy Jorgenson would show up at my house with a camera crew and a pair of handcuffs.
However, when I got an email from a man with the PERFECT setup and wanting 15 to 20 ducks, I couldn't get him here fast enough. Now I am back to a manageble 20 ducks. Ahhhhhh! Bliss!
I was worried that I would be featured on Animal Planet as the Duck Rescue Animal Hoarder of Oregon and that Buffy Jorgenson would show up at my house with a camera crew and a pair of handcuffs.
However, when I got an email from a man with the PERFECT setup and wanting 15 to 20 ducks, I couldn't get him here fast enough. Now I am back to a manageble 20 ducks. Ahhhhhh! Bliss!
We get full several times a year where i cant possible stick another duck in my cages. We make room and more birds come in to fill the spaces but when all said and done at the end of the year the cages are empty. Well most of them are anyway.
I know some rescuers who take in birds but do no adoptions. They always seem overwhelmed but yet continue to take in more. You have to let go and let others share the load of caring for the animals. It is really difficult to do that sometimes. I know when my cygnets need to go its going to be devastating
I know some rescuers who take in birds but do no adoptions. They always seem overwhelmed but yet continue to take in more. You have to let go and let others share the load of caring for the animals. It is really difficult to do that sometimes. I know when my cygnets need to go its going to be devastating
Quote:
Well this started out about 3 years ago...
We got 4 and I stressed only 4 snails from a teacher at school who did a class project. They raised the snails from eggs until the end of the year...
Anyway..So we got the 4 snails. About a year later we had a bunch of babies...We gave away about 200 snails to others, and put about another 300 in the turtle/fish pond...Some were eatten by the turtle. Others survived....
Another year passed and we had a 50 gal. fish tank with baby snails everywhere...
Again we gave away 200 or more snails. Then put another 200 or more in the turtle tank again...
This year they haven't had any babies...
We still have the original 4 from 3 years ago...(What I was told from the teacher we got them from was all the others had died...) We must of gotten the healthy and fertile snails....
We have about 300 in the turtle/fish pond right now. The original 4 in the fish tank. And another 200 or so in another fish tank...
Our pond and tanks are so clean...The water in those I swear is cleaner than the water that comes out of the tap. Snails do a wonderful job of keeping it clean...
Anyone want some snails....
you need some puffer fish , they love to crunch snails. i once dropped a dwarf puffer in a snail infested 10G andthe snails were gone the next day.
Well this started out about 3 years ago...
We got 4 and I stressed only 4 snails from a teacher at school who did a class project. They raised the snails from eggs until the end of the year...
Anyway..So we got the 4 snails. About a year later we had a bunch of babies...We gave away about 200 snails to others, and put about another 300 in the turtle/fish pond...Some were eatten by the turtle. Others survived....
Another year passed and we had a 50 gal. fish tank with baby snails everywhere...
Again we gave away 200 or more snails. Then put another 200 or more in the turtle tank again...
This year they haven't had any babies...
We still have the original 4 from 3 years ago...(What I was told from the teacher we got them from was all the others had died...) We must of gotten the healthy and fertile snails....
We have about 300 in the turtle/fish pond right now. The original 4 in the fish tank. And another 200 or so in another fish tank...
Our pond and tanks are so clean...The water in those I swear is cleaner than the water that comes out of the tap. Snails do a wonderful job of keeping it clean...
Anyone want some snails....
you need some puffer fish , they love to crunch snails. i once dropped a dwarf puffer in a snail infested 10G andthe snails were gone the next day.
Quote:
I lived next to one of those. He hoarded rabbits(and other things we later found out), which isn't hard. however, during a hurricane a few years ago, he let a bunch of them loose. I saw they were being stored in milk crates etc. Anyway, a bunch of his bunnies ended up digging through to my yard and destroyed about 20 banana trees. So I captured a bunch of bunnies, took them next door and tried to give them back. They told me to just keep them, and I'm like "I'm taking them to a shelter and reporting you so take em back" The wife refused to take them and was like "please call the shelter". The Animal Control people gave him 3 days to either find them new homes or turn them into the shelter. What did he do? He lit a 50 gal metal trash container and started a fire in the barrel. He started snapping all the bunnies necks and tossing them into the fire in FRONT of my whole neighborhood and his own daughter. Soooooo naturally, a lot of us witnessing this, called the cops. Animal Control came, and eventually the Agriculture Dept. came into play. They did an investigation, and then child services came into play. Oh it ended up being a HUGE mess. Anyway, the poor family ended up being evicted, his wife left him and took off with their kid. He got fined for not only having over 150 rabbits, but tons of exotic lizards and snakes as well. They found frozen dead lizards in his freezer, tons of embalmed animals, a butt load of fish tanks, 3 cats(I got the free range cats now), 2 dogs, and tons of domestic and wild birdies. Not to mention, some shady chemicals, etc. The man IS/WAS a hoarder of the most extreme. He not only kept them when they were alive, but he kept them after death too. This man hoarded more then just animals. His front yard was an eyesore for the whole neighborhood. He had so much crap, unbelievable. I do feel bad for these people though. It's clearly a mental disorder. Problem is, everyone suffers. They never realize it's a problem until...well, you know, they actually lose everything they hoarded. Sad. Feel bad for people like this. It's more common then you think.
I lived next to one of those. He hoarded rabbits(and other things we later found out), which isn't hard. however, during a hurricane a few years ago, he let a bunch of them loose. I saw they were being stored in milk crates etc. Anyway, a bunch of his bunnies ended up digging through to my yard and destroyed about 20 banana trees. So I captured a bunch of bunnies, took them next door and tried to give them back. They told me to just keep them, and I'm like "I'm taking them to a shelter and reporting you so take em back" The wife refused to take them and was like "please call the shelter". The Animal Control people gave him 3 days to either find them new homes or turn them into the shelter. What did he do? He lit a 50 gal metal trash container and started a fire in the barrel. He started snapping all the bunnies necks and tossing them into the fire in FRONT of my whole neighborhood and his own daughter. Soooooo naturally, a lot of us witnessing this, called the cops. Animal Control came, and eventually the Agriculture Dept. came into play. They did an investigation, and then child services came into play. Oh it ended up being a HUGE mess. Anyway, the poor family ended up being evicted, his wife left him and took off with their kid. He got fined for not only having over 150 rabbits, but tons of exotic lizards and snakes as well. They found frozen dead lizards in his freezer, tons of embalmed animals, a butt load of fish tanks, 3 cats(I got the free range cats now), 2 dogs, and tons of domestic and wild birdies. Not to mention, some shady chemicals, etc. The man IS/WAS a hoarder of the most extreme. He not only kept them when they were alive, but he kept them after death too. This man hoarded more then just animals. His front yard was an eyesore for the whole neighborhood. He had so much crap, unbelievable. I do feel bad for these people though. It's clearly a mental disorder. Problem is, everyone suffers. They never realize it's a problem until...well, you know, they actually lose everything they hoarded. Sad. Feel bad for people like this. It's more common then you think.
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