About H.A.R.C.
Why a research consortium?
HARC was established in 1997 as an informal
group of researchers who had an interest in hoarding,
animal protection and preventing animal abuse, human-animal
relations and the human-animal bond, law enforcement,
psychiatry, psychology, elder abuse, social work, and
epidemiology. We believed that the complexity of this
problem is best investigated with an interdisciplinary
approach, with each of us contributing our own particular
expertise.
The work of the original HARC group concluded
in 2006 with the publication of the intervention manual,
and sadly, with the death of Dr Ed Messner, who made
many invaluable contributions to our work. Dr Gary Patronek
still manages the HARC website and responds to inquiries.
Jane Nathanson is active in providing counseling to
animal hoarders and their families, some of which is
conducted under the auspices of a pilot project supported
by Carter Luke and the MSPCA.
List of HARC members
What services do we offer?
Animal hoarding is a complex and challenging
problem. As academic researchers, our contribution to
solving this problem is to try to understand its root
causes, both individually and on a societal level, and
to disseminate what we have learned as widely as possible.
This website is our primary vehicle for communication.
Although various members do become involved in interventions
within Massachusetts, our location does not permit us
to work around the US, to testify in court cases, or
to provide extensive long-distance counseling or advice.
We can at times provide referrals to mental health or
animal protection groups in other parts of the country
who may be in a better postion to become involved in
individual cases.
Where are we located?
HARC does not maintain an office or a staff.
All of the members are volunteers. We work on some research
projects as a group, others as subgroups, and still
others as individuals at our parent institutions. As
explained above, the formal collaboration of the original
HARC group was completed in 2006.
Acknowledgments
HARC wishes to acknowledge the support for research
expenses we have received from the following:
- Edith Goode Residuary Trust
- Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, A KeyBank Trust
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