Animals need a lot of resources to remain happy.
Animal hoarding is the practice of keeping a large quantity animals in a home, often more than the owner can manage. These cases can lead to serious injuries and health problems for the animals and is considered a form of animal abuse. Also, they can put a large strain on the economic resources of the nearby shelters, since the animals often have a lot of health problems, making them difficult to adopt.
Supplies
Animal hoarders can cause serious health problems for the animals. Many hoarders are not able to get enough supplies to feed the animals. Those who can buy enough food may still have starving pets, since weaker and younger animals cannot compete with the older and stronger animals. Hoarding can lead to conflicts between animals, since not all of them get along with each other. Deceased animals are often found in the homes of hoarders, which the owner is often unaware of, according to Loyola University. The corpses cause diseases to spread.
Diseases
Hoarders cannot keep track of the injuries and illnesses received by all the animals, since some health problems are subtle. Hoarders can have a difficult time cleaning up after the animals, which leads to the spread of disease. The leftover food and feces attract pests, such as cockroaches, which further spread disease and ruin the building where the animals are hoarded.
Finances
Animal hoarding can put a financial strain on the owner, since animals need money to provide for medical expenses, food and other supplies. Animal hoards can increase exponentially when the pets are not neutered and spayed, since the pets will have many potential reproductive partners.
Neighbors
Pets are more likely to escape when hoarded in large quantities, causing problems in the neighborhood and suffering injuries. Dogs bark, disturbing neighbors and violate noise ordinances. The smell can disturb the neighbors as well. Local ordinances often limit the number of pets someone can own and hoarding can lead to fines and prison sentences.
Shelters
When the hoarder must give up pets, many are taken to shelters where they are euthanized, since the surplus of animals puts strain on local animal shelters. Time spent in shelters can put added strain on pets emotionally. Animal hoarding cases are often handled inconsistently, with some cases continuing for long periods. In some instances, animals are removed from the hoarder's home temporarily and are then unexpectedly returned to the hoarder's home.
Rescue Groups
Some hoarders operate as rescue groups. To be a rescue group, the hoarder must release the animals for adoption from time to time and must effectively care for them. Some legitimate rescue groups take in too many dogs and lose their ability to effectively care for them, leading to malnourishment and health problems, according to Tufts University. In other cases, hoarders claim to be rescue groups to avoid prosecution for animal hoarding.
Tags: health problems, Animal hoarding, rescue groups, animals often, animals since