What is an animal hoarder?
Animal hoarding is a complex and intricate public health and community issue. Its effects are far-reaching and encompass mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns. The following criteria are used to define animal hoarding: • More than the typical number of companion animals • Inability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care, with this neglect often resulting in starvation, illness and death • Denial of the inability to provide this minimum care and the impact of that failure on the animals, the household and human occupants of the dwelling This definition comes from The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium, an independent group of academic researchers based in Massachusetts. The full definition and more info can be found at http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding/index.html. It’s important to note that not everyone who has multiple animals is an animal hoarder. A person may have a dozen animals, and all are spayed and neu
