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We live in the country, with most of us having a few acres, some just one. A neighbor has at least 30 cats, inbreeding, no shots, etc. There is no law about how many cats one can have, only dogs, but these cats a leaving feces all over the properties of neighbors and us which is not healthy for our dogs or the environment. Any suggestions of an agency who might do something? ASPCA? Dept. of Health?
This kind of hoarding is a serious mental illness...is there a humane society anywhere near you? Or any animal rescue facilities? Often, rescue organizations will come in, remove the animals and find them homes...good luck!
You may not have laws on how many cats you can own, but I would think there would be laws about taking care of them properly. I would try and contact a humane society for recommendations on what can be done. Or call your local animal control and ask them. Good luck!
This kind of hoarding is a serious mental illness...is there a humane society anywhere near you? Or any animal rescue facilities? Often, rescue organizations will come in, remove the animals and find them homes...good luck!
Yes and yes. And then what?
IF this is a hoarding issue (which as per poster above IS a mental health issue - and a very poorly understood one at that) and some rescue or the HSUS comes in and removes the animals.... what is to stop this cycle from just starting all over again? Nothing at all. And it will.
So yes, call the city or county or the HSUS or whomever it may be so the animals get seen to or be removed, but please it really also needs to be reported to someone/some organisation or department (Dept of Health perhaps?) who can tackle the owners physical and mental health.
IF this is a hoarding issue (which as per poster above IS a mental health issue - and a very poorly understood one at that) and some rescue or the HSUS comes in and removes the animals.... what is to stop this cycle from just starting all over again? Nothing at all. And it will.
So yes, call the city or county or the HSUS or whomever it may be so the animals get seen to or be removed, but please it really also needs to be reported to someone/some organisation or department (Dept of Health perhaps?) who can tackle the owners physical and mental health.
Though I've never actually witnessed or dealt with a hoarding situation myself, I would think that whatever organization comes in to help would have to notify someone or do something to help in that department...does that responsibility fall on whoever calls it into the HSUS? I have no idea...at the very least, though, the HSUS would be aware that the hoarder exists, and should be responsible to follow-up and make sure the cycle ISN'T starting all over again. That being said, FiveHorses raises a valid point here, it's a good idea to ask the HSUS what, if anything, they plan to do as far as follow-up and/or helping the individual responsible for the hoarding, and ask who you can call to make sure this person gets the help they need.
Doesn't sound like "Hoarding" to me, rather it sounds like stupidity of not spaying and neutering. If something does not happen, soon there will be hundreds of cats . I would contact some animal groups to see if there are free or low cost spay/neuter clinics around and then talk to the neighbor.
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The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. ~Henry David Thoreau
If she has acres to let them roam, that is NOT hoarding, that is called a sanctuary.. If I were you, I would look around and see if I could find a organization that would S/N them for her, then go talk to her and tell her there are groups that would help her get this done and offer to help her do this.
I have helped S/N organizations and we did just that with several people that was willing to let the cats dumped around their property live on that property without any problems. We went in and TNR'ed at both places. They fed them daily and looked after them.. It is my dream to have a place like that where I can take in the homeless ones with no where else to go.
One of those we helped had more than 30 and he had the nicest set up for them, covered feeding places (like those carport everybody puts up now), he had built steps that he set their plates of food on at feeding time to keep the food up off the ground. Had all kinds of places he had built where they could get out of the weather, nothing fancy but nice. He had many that were dumped former pet and some that were feral but he kept records on every one of them and they all had names..
We have one woman that will take the ferals that we have trapped and had fixed but could not take them back where we got them, they are all outside and she feeds them every day, also names them, counts heads at feeding, time ect. Her only requirement to take them is that they be healthy and S/N. The set up she has could never be called hoarding but called very cleaver.
Like I said, it is my dream to have something like that one day!
I think the way you find local orginazations is to go to PerFinder.com type in your zip code and in there somewhere is a list of them in your area OR you local ASPCA could have a listing. There is help out there you just have to find it.
If she has acres to let them roam, that is NOT hoarding, that is called a sanctuary..
With all due respect, the OP has said these cats are urinating and defecating on neighboring properties, so it doesn't sound like this person has "acres to let them roam"...
The OP has also said there is inbreeding going on, that they live under a trailer, and that they are not being vaccinated, etc...this doesn't sound like a "sanctuary" at all.
Last edited by luvmycat; 10-29-2010 at 01:27 PM..
Reason: added text
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. I would contact some animal groups to see if there are free or low cost spay/neuter clinics around and then talk to the neighbor.
