Animal hoarding is a condition in which individuals become addicted to accumulating pets. This usually means great suffering for the animals. In 2021, animal hoarding numbers hit a sad record.
Animal hoarding is a major health burden for both humans and pets. According to the Animal Welfare Association, animal hoarding is one of the mental illnesses and can be promoted or triggered by numerous other mental illnesses. The addiction often goes so far that those affected lose track of their pets and can no longer care for them. The animals therefore lack food, water, space, hygiene and medical care. This leads to the animals becoming more and more neglected, becoming seriously ill and possibly even dying as a result.
According to the animal protection association, there have already been cases in the past in which people lived together with 24 dogs and two cats in an apartment, kept 35 dogs in the living room or housed 14 dogs in addition to four children. The people affected are often not aware of the suffering of the animals, or only to a limited extent. Some even collect animals in the belief that they will save them from suffering. For animal welfare, cases of animal hoarding are usually very complicated because the people affected are usually not willing to cooperate.
Animal Hoarding: A major problem for animal welfare
In 2021, the German Animal Welfare Association had to record a sad record: Since the first survey in 2012, the animal hoarding cases have never been as high as in 2021. The annual number of cases reported this year was 68. Animal rights activists are therefore covering a little more than one case per week. In 2012, the number was just 22. However, it is unclear whether this is actually because more people are becoming addicted to pets or because the authorities are becoming more aware of cases. In any case, the Animal Welfare Association assumes that the number of unreported cases is high.
As of 2012, dogs and cats are among the animals most affected by animal hoarding. But also small rodents as well as large farm animals (such as cows and sheep), birds and even native and non-native wild animals have already been victims of animal hoarding in Germany.
It usually takes a long time before animal protection becomes aware of animal suffering – because animal collectors often isolate themselves with their animals from the outside world and avoid social contact with their fellow human beings. According to the Animal Welfare Association, the authorities usually first become aware of such cases when neighbors report them. They usually complain about a stench or a strong background noise.
If the animal collectors do not cooperate, the veterinary office must first obtain the right from the public prosecutor’s office to be allowed to enter a property and confiscate the animals. For this, however, the authorities need meaningful evidence. If the animals can finally be saved, it is already too late for many: in 2021, animal rights activists found a total of 283 dead animals in just nine cases.
That’s how tragic animal hoarding is for animals
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / 13228026)
The Tierschutzbund uses a case in which a person had hoarded a large number of horses to illustrate how badly animals must suffer from animal hoarding. The herd kept growing as the animals reproduced uncontrollably. In addition, they had to stand on muddy paddocks, when it rained they stood up to their ankles in mud and could hardly move. Uncontrolled fights for hierarchy in the herd resulted in injuries that the hoarder did not seek medical attention for.
Due to a lack of hygiene, parasites as well as fur and skin diseases spread among the horses. Older horses in particular were constantly driven from the feeding grounds by younger ones and eventually starved to death. The corpses of the horses usually lay around openly in the yard for a long time. Since the owner did not care for the animals’ hooves, severe hoof deformations developed over time. These make it difficult for the horses to walk and cause severe pain. Newborn foals were often trampled to death.
According to the Animal Welfare Association, there are similarly tragic reports of dogs, cats, small rodents and other animal species.
Animal Hoarding: A Mental Illness
According to the Animal Welfare Association, the psychological causes that lead to animal hoarding are numerous and vary from case to case. Typical causes are, for example, other addictions, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety disorders, depression or personality disorders (such as borderline disorders and psychoses). In many cases, a history of mental illness causes the affected person to turn away from those around them and into the animal world entirely. The animals should be the way out of the painful life.
According to the Animal Welfare Association, about four types of animal hoarders can be described from previous studies. However, these can also overlap and occur as mixed forms:
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Exaggerated caretakers: These people are socially isolated and want to replace their fellow human beings with animals. They try to take care of the animals, but fail. As a result, the overall situation quickly overwhelms them. However, they downplay this.
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Rescuers: Protecting animals from suffering is part of the clear mission of these people. They think they are the only ones who would let animals live happily ever after. They therefore actively collect animals and cannot refuse any animal.
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Breeders: People of this type buy numerous animals with the aim of breeding and selling them. Over time, however, the population gets more and more out of control as the animals reproduce uncontrollably. The animal owners lose track of the animals and are not able to sell them professionally.
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Exploiters: People of this type often show narcissistic traits. They lack empathy and collect animals solely for selfish motives. Since they cover up their actions well, they can often avoid the authorities for a particularly long time.
No matter which type or which mixed form is present in individual cases – animal hoarding is always a psychiatric clinical picture or often the consequence of other mental illnesses. Psychiatric or psychotherapeutic treatment is therefore essential for those affected in order to get the addiction under control.
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