Animal Hoarding, by definition, is a condition in which animals are deprived of even minimal care. An animal hoarder is someone who accumulates a large number of animals, fails to provide even the minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation and veterinary care, and fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals (including disease, starvation and even death.)

According to an article at animalhoarding.org, there can be several different types of animal hoarders such as the Overwhelmed Caregiver, the Rescuer Hoarder, and Exploiters Hoarders. The first two most often have their heart in the right place and are eventually overwhelmed by circumstance. The latter is the type of hoarder that is also known as a backyard breeder. These hoarders acquire animals to serve their own needs and are indifferent to the harm caused to the animals. A few months ago, Furry Kids Refuge had the displeasure of seeing first hand the pain and suffering this type of hoarder can cause. We were able to rescue 12 dogs a from a couple living in a rural area in Missouri.

In the back yard there were 6 dogs in various kennels with no food or water in their bowls.  The dogs didn't look malnourished; however, when asked why there wasn't any water, we were told “they get their water in the Gravy Train.” One of the dogs had a terrible cough and another was constantly flipping an old hubcap into the air. Neighbors had complained for years about the neglect of dogs living in backyard kennels.  What the neighbors did not know is that there were also many dogs living AND breeding inside the house.  No one knew because the inside dogs were never allowed outside!

The wife had decided to leave her husband so she contacted two Furry Kid volunteers who lived in the area.  At first, she was only willing to let Furry Kids take a Blue Heeler who had been living in the house for 5 years, but then she soon agreed to let us come into the house and see the other dogs. Inside, we were soon surrounded by several barking, snapping dogs…some clearly emaciated and one little dog had only three paws. There were layers of newspapers spread out in the entry that were soaked with urine and covered with feces.  Overcome by the strong stench and not being able to breathe, everyone went back outside to talk.  The woman finally agreed to let Furry Kids have all the dogs on the following Sunday morning.

There were seven volunteers and the Furry Kid's van that Sunday morning. The woman started bringing the terrified dogs out of the house one at a time to get loaded into the van.  Moving to the back yard, the volunteers were only able to get 4 of the dogs loaded before the husband arrived home. (The remaining dogs were the one with a cough and the hubcap dog.)  The man ranted and cursed but said he would sell the sick dog for $50.00. The woman said there were still 2 pregnant Shih Tzu's in the back bedroom and a volunteer offered $500.00 from his own pocket for the 2 Shih Tzu's and the hubcap dog.  But the man refused because he "could make more than that off the pups" and he wanted the hubcap dog to “bark” in the backyard. Reluctantly, the volunteers left and the van rolled away with 12 dogs.

The next day all the dogs were brought to the Vet. Lil' Charlie, Lil' Rex and Momma Min Pin were almost starved to death and were not healthy enough to be spayed/neutered until they had gained weight. All tested negative for heart worms but Lil' Charlie had no fur on his ears, face and tail which is an indication of thyroid issues. After further tests, Lil” Charlie is now on a low cost Thyroid medicine that is improving the fur loss. Momma Min Pin wasn’t as lucky… She was too ill and had been neglected for too long to get her healthy enough to find her forever home and she passed away in her foster home. She died with a full tummy, lying on a soft bed, and knowing that people cared about her.

Shelly, an Aussie/Sheltie mix tested positive for heart worms and after undergoing the treatment she had a set back. She spent several days at the vet’s office and then was sent home to her foster family. She never recovered fully and died in her foster mom's arms 2 days later.  Shelly lived in horrible conditions in the back yard in a small kennel. Roy was the sweet, playful, wonderful Lab mix who was in a kennel in the back yard that we had to pay  $50 for to save him. We knew by his constant coughing (as we haggled with the people over the money) that this was a sure sign of heart worms in the later stages. After getting him to our vet he tested positive for heart worms. We then had X-rays taken of his chest to see the condition of his heart & lungs. His heart was enlarged with heart worms, his lungs were filled with fluid and this sweet furry kid didn't have a chance of surviving the treatment. We got this furry kid saved just in time to let him die a peaceful death. How unfair this all seemed at the time.....the rescuers couldn't understand it. It took us some time to realize and accept that at least we gave him sufficient food, love, a soft bed, caring people and a peaceful end to what could have been a horrible, painful death.

Then there is sweet little Trey with one foot missing and a total fear of people. He is in a loving foster home where he is learning daily to trust, love and enjoy being around people. Randy is one that has taken until now to begin to trust and still needs more time and patience working with him on trusting. Earl, a beagle mix, bounced back quickly from the trauma he endured and has been adopted. Adam, the shy little Spaniel mix, took a little longer to adjust but has also been adopted by a loving family. Sparky, the MinPin mix, tested positive for Heart worms and successfully underwent treatment. He too, has been adopted and is enjoying life in a forever home. Jackson, the poodle mix, was another who just clung to us when the people handed him over. He was so underweight that we were sure he wouldn't survive. He did survive and was placed in a awesome home (Thank you JoAnn) that taught this incredibly smart little guy house rules and then some. Frosty, the Cattle Dog who turned out to be deaf, was adopted by an awesome family that fell in love with her overnight. 

Our story has some high points and some low points, but the most important point is that Animal Hoarding is a serious problem. Hoarding consumes alot of resources such as time, money, and emotion. As a rescue organization, we feel the frustration of not being able to save all the animals but also feel a severe pinch on the purse strings with the associated veterinary care that is most always needed. For example, the cost to rescue just these 12 dogs was over $2000 for the initial veterinary expenses. Their continued care will push that number even further. What can you do to help? Learning about animal hoarding, understanding its characteristics, how it develops, interventions, and preventions can help both the people involved and the animals. If you would like to help monetarily, please click on the DONATE button above. All donations are tax deductible and 100% of the donation goes to the care of these deserving animals.

~ Contributors: Tina Bratcher, Carla Wing, & Catie Callery
~ Resources: Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium, www.animalhoarding.org.