Dealing With Animal Hoarders and the Cleanup Process
Hoarding Cleaning providers have collected staggering results while researching the hoarding condition. Hoarding is a widespread condition in the US that is estimated to affect between 6 million and 16 million citizens. Forty percent of hoarding cases involve animal hoarding. Animal Hoarding is an extreme squalor condition that involves a person’s uncontrollable urge to collect and control large quantities of animals.
The most common misconception about animal hoarding is that hoarders only collect dogs and cats. While a majority of the almost 250,000 pets rescued from animal hoarding situations in the US per year are domesticated animals like dogs and cats, other animals such as birds, fish, rabbits, ferrets, chickens, goats, and reptile species are also rescued as well. Helping Animal Hoarders means that help can also be found for the precious pets affected by these unlivable conditions.
Animal hoarders typically have good intentions when introducing new animals into their home. However, the animal hoarder quickly becomes overwhelmed and unable to care for the large quantities of pets in their living space. While all animal hoarders generally care deeply for their beloved pets, squalor-type living conditions quickly materialize causing immediate danger for pets and the human inhabitants of the property.
Squalor Conditions that arise can include:
- Feces, urine, and vomit contamination
- Excessive pet dander allergens
- Insect infestation (eg. tics, mites, etc.)
- Ruination of property
- Repulsive odors
While damage to the property should be enough to stop these cases from happening, it is important to remember that animal hoarding is not a victimless condition.
Animals suffer greatly when large numbers of pets are kept in a space inadequate for them to thrive and live healthily. In many animal hoarding cases, pets are found undernourished, literally dying of starvation or thirst. It is also found that lack of proper grooming can cause serious infection amongst hoarded animals, causing serious illness or death. When large quantities of pets are forced to share the same space, territorial issues could result in debilitating or even fatal wounds after fighting occurs.
Animal Hoarding Cleanup providers find that their clients were simply not able to keep up with all of their pets. In some animal hoarding cases, deceased animals are found during the cleanup process. This happens because animal hoarders are unable to account for every single pet at all times.
One of the many questions on Hoarding Cleanup is, “How does a hoarder get help?” The Guide for Animal Hoarders is a great place to start. This friendly, highly-interactive, visual guide allows hoarders and their helpers to see the harm in animal hoarding. It also provides tips and tools on how to solve the problem and begin a happier, healthier life for themselves and their beloved pets.