Animal hoarding
[3] An animal hoarder keeps an unusually large number of pets for their premises, and fails to care for them properly.
[19] However, some states, like California and New Hampshire, may provide felony provisions for depriving an animal of necessary sustenance, drink, and shelter.
[13] In Maine, a person who is guilty of cruelty to animals may face criminal or civil charges at the discretion of the state's attorney.
After being diagnosed with a mild case of mental retardation, however, the judge found the woman unable to aid and assist in her own defense.
The probate court, then, granted the limited protective order and the organization was allowed to place the cats into new homes.
In several other cases, hoarders were only charged with one count of failure to license or provide a rabies vaccination when there were dozens of animals involved.
[11] A person convicted of violating section 3 of the Act (which requires the provision of food and water, adequate shelter and protection from the weather, veterinary care, and humane care and treatment) is guilty of a misdemeanor with a second or subsequent violation raising the offense to a Class 4 felony.
[11] Hawaii's statute does not mandate psychological counseling for convicted hoarders or restrict future animal ownership.
[29] More controversially, a municipality may limit the number of pets a person is allowed to keep in his or her home in hopes of preventing animal hoarding.
[11] In the United Kingdom, an RSPCA spokeswoman said the society was campaigning for legislation to monitor people who take in large numbers of animals.
[4] One study found at least one dead animal present in over half of examined cases, the leading cause of death being an insufficient food and water supply.
[36] The effects of hoarding on the health and socialization of the animals involved are severe and lasting, taking heavy tolls on both their physical and psychological well-being.
[4] Animal hoarding is at the root of a string of human health problems including poor sanitation, fire hazards, zoonotic diseases, envenomation, and neglect of oneself and one's dependents.
Poor sanitation practices, a general characteristic of hoarding households, pose health risks to both animals and humans.
In typical hoarding residences, animal waste is found coating interior surfaces, including beds, countertops, and cupboards.
[35] OSHA, the United States agency regulating air quality standards in work-related environments, has identified an ammonia level of 300 parts per million as life-threatening for humans;[5] in many hoarding cases the atmospheric ammonia level in the housing space approaches this number,[36] requiring the use of protective clothing and breathing apparati during inspections or interventions.
[5] The presence of animal waste also prevents sanitary storage and preparation of food, which puts residents at risk of contracting food-related illnesses and parasites.
[37] Insect and rodent infestation can both follow and worsen hoarding conditions, and can potentially spread to the surrounding environment including to nearby buildings.
[36] In one case, an elementary school had to be shut down due to a flea infestation that had spread from a nearby dog hoarder residence.
[37] Hoarders are frequently found to collect large numbers of inanimate objects in addition to animals,[34] giving rise to clutter as well.
[34] A lack of functioning toilets, sinks, electricity, or proper heating (often due to hoarders not paying bills, though poor maintenance may also be a cause) further exacerbates the problem.
[34] Zoonoses that may arise in hoarding situations—through vectors such as dog, cat, or rat bites—include rabies, salmonellosis, catscratch fever, hookworm, and ringworm.
Self-neglect can be defined as "the inability to provide for oneself the goods or services to meet basic needs", and has been shown to be an "independent risk factor for death".
[5] As with his or her animals, the hoarder often fails to provide adequate care for dependents both young and old, who suffer from a lack of basic necessities as well as the health problems caused by unsanitary conditions.
[34] In one case, two children of a couple hoarding 58 cats and other animals were forced to repeat kindergarten and first grade because of excessive absence due to respiratory infections.
Evidence suggests that there is "a strong mental health component" in animal hoarding, though it has not been firmly linked to any specific psychological disorder.
[38] Virtually all hoarders lack insight into the extent of deterioration in their habitations and on the health of their animals, refusing to acknowledge that anything is wrong.
Another model that has been suggested to explain animal hoarding is attachment disorder, which is primarily caused by poor parent-child relationships during childhood.
An overwhelming sense of responsibility for something is characteristic of people with OCD, who then take unrealistic measures to fulfill their perceived duty.
[44] Further, the hoarding of inanimate objects, practiced by a majority of animal hoarders,[37] is a fairly common occurrence in people with OCD.
