Most animal hoarding cases probably come to the attention of officials via animal shelters or cruelty investigators.


The reality for animals

The reality of hoarding situations for the animal victims is difficult to describe.    Read more....


Animal cruelty laws

Every state in the US has animal cruelty statutes which prohibit cruel treatment and/or require an owner to provide proper shelter, adequate nutrition and clean water, a sanitary safe environment, and necessary veterinary care.    Read more....


Prosecution for cruelty to animals

In many cases of animal hoarding, it is animal shelters or cruelty investigators who initiate an investigation which may culminate in prosecution. Prosecution can be an effective tool, but in many parts ' of the country, even with a guilty verdict, penalties are light and little is done to prevent recidivism.   Read more....


Bond laws for cost of care

Under the current laws of several states, animals seized by law enforcement officials during the course of a cruelty investigation are treated as any other property. Seized animals must be held as evidence in a cruelty case and thus cannot be disposed of (adopted, returned to owner) until the case has been adjudicated.   Read more....


The "rescue or shelter' hoarder

One of the most disturbing trends in animal hoarding cases is that of a person hoarding under the guise of being a legitimate animal shelter, sanctuary, adoption agency, or rescue group. These cases are particulary difficult to resolve becasue it involves overocming an entrenched systematic effort to acquire animals, usually with a long history of enabling by a public ill-informed about animal hoarding and easily swayed by claims of good intentions.   Read more....


Large scale animal rescue

Interventions to rescue and remove a large number of animals from a hoarding situation is one of the most difficult challenges any animal protection group or shelter can face. Even under the best of circumstances, they are costly and expensive, and can result in animals languishing in protective custody, unable to be adopted, while prolonged legal maneuvering occurs.    Read more...


Role of the media

An inevitable complication of a large-scale animal rescue operation is the involvement of the media. There have been a handful of in-depth reports which have captured the complexity of hoarding cases, but many do not. HARC has reviewed hundreds of media reports, and have identified common themes in how animal hoarding stories are reported.    Read more...


Role of excuses

Another inevitable part of any hoarding case is the plethora of excuses likely to be offered. Sociologists have studied how excuses work to maintain a positive self-image in the face of bad behavior.    Read more...