Animal Hoarding
The Number One Animal Cruelty Crisis
“In terms of the number of animals affected and the degree and duration of their suffering, hoarding is the number one animal cruelty crisis facing companion animals in communities throughout the country,” according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The organization estimates that up to 250,000 animals per year are victims of hoarding.
What Every Advocate Must Know About Hoarding
- Report now. Hoarding only gets worse, prolonging the neglect and suffering of animals and people alike and the major impacts on neighbors and the greater community. If you suspect hoarding, don’t delay in contacting authorities. If nothing is done, you can press charges.
- Law enforcement enters first. Do not touch a hoarding situation prior to law enforcement. Evidence must be documented and custody chain maintained. Only with evidence are charges possible, and only with charges can a possession ban be ordered.
- Possession bans prevent recidivism. In the absence of a possession ban, nearly 100% of hoarders collect more animals. Ask your DA, judge, ACO, and shelter manager whether bans are being ordered. Psychological counseling should be ordered also.
- The correct charge is essential. When animals are seized, charges must be filed under § 13A-11-241 because only that statute establishes a custody procedure. The correct charge is the difference between animals languishing in shelters or quickly cleared for adoption or rescue.
If You Suspect Hoarding, Report Now
When left unchecked, hoarding situations only get worse. Red flags can include:
- Refusal to let you enter their home.
- Failing to provide minimal nutrition, vet care, shelter, or sanitation.
- Continuing to acquire animals for which they lack the resources to properly care.
- Refusal to accept help caring for animals.
- Refusal to surrender animals to rescue groups, family, or friends despite an inability to meet their needs.
- Failing to recognize the devastating impact of this neglect.
- Inability to stop repeating this behavior.
Report immediately to get help for the people and animals alike and to prevent the situation from getting worse.
- Contact your local humane society or shelter, sheriff’s office, police department, or animal control department.
- Contact social service groups near you. DHR, Senior Services, or a mental health agency may be able to provide help.
If you know the person, emphasize that their animals require urgent care. Communicate that immediate action is critical to their health and well-being.
Law Enforcement Must Enter First
Another day, another hoarding case without criminal charges. Advocates are outraged, understandably. But what most do not know is that the law enforcement officers who were blamed may not have been able to bring charges. They may never have known about the situation or may have been notified only after necessary evidence had been disturbed or removed.
This is why law enforcement must enter a situation first, no matter how urgent, how major or minor the situation, whether apparently criminal or not, and no matter what story has been told about the origin of the animals. The evidence must be preserved by those who are trained in investigations and in maintaining the chain of custody.
If rescuers have already entered this time and removed evidence, it may still be possible for those who did enter the property to press charges by bringing their photos, videos, and other information to the court magistrate. And next time, insist that law enforcement enters first.
Possession Bans Prevent Recidivism
A possession ban is a prohibition of owning, possessing, and/or having any direct contact with animals. Bans are a key intervention because the compulsion to collect animals does not just go away when animals are removed. Unless the person is monitored, recurrence of hoarding approaches 100%. In many cases, large numbers of animals may be removed from the same owner multiple times over the years because no charges were filed or no intervention was ordered.
Only when charges are filed is a ban possible. Although state law does not mandate possession bans, bans can be requested by prosecutors as part of plea agreements or ordered by judges during sentencing. In some counties and municipal courts, prosecutors and judges are unaware of the option or its importance. Advocates can turn the tide by asking questions of DAs, judges, and also animal control officers and shelter managers. Sometimes a few questions is all it takes.
Possession bans should also be included as a condition of a bond, so that there are major consequences for acquiring more animals at any point.
Bans need not be complete. Successful outcomes have resulted from removing puppies or kittens and allowing the person to keep a small number of (sterilized) adults, with a provision that the person is not allowed to possess any additional animals.
Possession bans or limitations are usually structured as a condition of probation and enforced by the Alabama Bureau of Pardons & Paroles. An officer’s surprise check-ins and the risk of imprisonment provide strong deterrents. If animal collection is resumed, issues are minimized due to early detection. Proactive animal control officers and shelter staff may also be able to keep a close eye, even without a ban.
Psychological therapy is recommended also, because hoarding is a symptom of distorted thinking.“Courts can — and should — require convicted animal hoarders to undergo mental health evaluations, and treatment if necessary. This can address the root of the issue, dramatically reducing recidivism rates,” ALDF states.
For more information about hoarding see Animal Hoarding in Depth.