Is my Neighbor a Hoarder? The Federation of Humane Organizations
Is my Neighbor a Hoarder? The Federation of Humane Organizations of West Virginia Presented by: Lisa Starr Community Initiatives Director Community Outreach ASPCA [email protected] www.aspcapro.org 1 Is My Neighbor a Hoarder? 2 3 Looks Can Be Deceiving 4 A Closer Look 5 The Interior 6 The Interior 7 Is My Neighbor a Hoarder? 8 Doddridge County - January 2014 •104 cats •19 dogs •1 ferret •55 birds 9 Teagan Kanawha County – THIS WEEK! 10 Defining “Animal Hoarder” Someone who accumulates a large number of animals and •Fails to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, and veterinary care •Fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals – (including disease, starvation, and even death) or the environment (severe overcrowding, extremely unsanitary conditions) •Fails to recognize the negative effect of the collection on their own health and wellbeing and on that of other household members Dr. Gary Patroneck in Public Health Reports (114), 1999 11 12 Demographics of “Animal Hoarders” •Majority (over 2/3) are women •Majority (about 2/3) are unmarried •Most begin hoarding in their 30’s •Generally well educated, with some college •All income levels are represented 13 Incidence and Impact of Hoarding •Recent studies put the prevalence rate between 2-5% of the population; the majority are single women over 65. •6-15 million Americans suffer with some form of hoarding that causes them distress or interferes with their ability to live •Costs of inspections, animal removal, medical and mental health care, clean up or ultimate demolition of the home and transitional costs of feeding, clothing, and housing can total over $100,000 per incident. •This doesn’t take into account the impact to local animal shelters… 14 Characteristics of Animal Hoarders 1. Preoccupation with Their Animals: Animals take up most of their time •Animals take up most of their money •Little contact with others not involved in maintaining the animals 15 Characteristics of Animal Hoarders 2. Presence of Enablers who Help Perpetuate the Problem: •Relatives/Friends •Staff and/or volunteers •Public officials •Other shelters or animal agencies •Society at large 16 Characteristics of Animal Hoarders 3. Neglect of Personal, Physical and Environmental Conditions: • Neglect of personal health and hygiene • Neglect of animal health and hygiene • Presence of masses of other accumulated items, e.g. bottles, newspapers, debris • General decay and disrepair of household 17 Characteristics of Animal Hoarders 4. Claims of Persecution: 18 • Local animal control or humane society is seen as the enemy • Little or no attempt to adopt or otherwise place animals • Assistance from outside groups usually unwanted or futile • Legal assistance is often rejected Characteristics of Animal Hoarders 5. Denial and Alibis for Behavior: •Serious health problems are minimized •Environmental problems are minimized •Dead animals are ignored or treat as if alive •Short term excuses are given for long term problems •Many hoarders think of themselves as rescuers 19 Characteristics of Animal Hoarders 6. Repetition or Cycling of Addictive Behavior: • Without supervision – VIRTUALLY ALL hoarders resume their activities • Without ties to the community, many hoarders leave the area and begin again elsewhere • Lifelong monitoring is essential 20 Psychology of Hoarding •Early childhood experience: psychosocial/environmental •Relationships an inadequate buffer for stress • Emotional pain • Loneliness, fear or abandonment •Reliance on ‘unconditional love’ of animals • Acceptance • Dependability •Self reparative efforts via relationships with animals 21 Psychology of Hoarding •Compulsive, excessive care-giving •Heightened self esteem •Triggering event • Trauma • Crisis •Insufficient coping skills •Care giving capacity exceeded •Failure to meet needs of animals •Animal Neglect 22 General Types of Animal Hoarders • Breeder Hoarders • Exploiter Hoarders • Incipient Hoarders • Overwhelmed Caregivers • Rescue Hoarders 23 Breeder Hoarder •Initially breeds for show/sale but breeding continues and conditions worsen as animals are not dispersed •Animals more likely to be kenneled – less impact on human living conditions •Only moderate insight into condition of animals and capacity to provide care •Psychological role of animals becomes more important than their economic value 24 Exploiter Hoarder •Acquire animals for own psychological needs •True sociopathic or personality disorders •Little empathy for people or harm to animals •Extreme denial of situation •Rejects outsider authority; believes his/her knowledge and ability is superior •Manipulative, cunning, lies, cheats, steals •Actively plans to evade laws 25 Incipient Hoarder •Achieves minimum legal standards of care, but situation is deteriorating •Shows awareness of problems, seeks to provide care •At risk for having situation worsen unless circumstances change 26 Overwhelmed Caregiver •Some awareness of problems •Problem triggered by change in circumstance – health, financial •Strong attachment to animals as family •Passive acquisition of population •Does not deny problems, but minimizes them •Less secretive, more likely to comply with agencies •May involve psychological disorders 27 Rescue Hoarders •Sense of mission to save produces unavoidable compulsion •Fear of death –opposes euthanasia •Active acquisition of animals, sometimes surreptitiously •Believes he/she has a unique ability to care – little or no adoption •Avoids authorities, impedes access, argumentative!! •Usually has a network of enablers 28 Rescue Hoarders Special Concerns in Responding to Rescue Hoarders: •Usually intelligent, articulate, media savvy and ligious •Often have current support from local agencies and organiations •May have had prior support from agencies that are now investigating them •Large numbers of animals present housing, veterinary and zoonotic challenges to responders •Social services does not view them as a threat to self of others •Prosecutors unwilling to pursue charges without solid evidence of cruelty •Judges insensitive to the severity of the problem •Little prospect of restitution 29 Legitimate Rescue Groups vs. Rescue Hoarders 30 Intervention Strategies 31 Classic Approaches Don’t Work •For years, agencies have attempted to: •Ignore the problem •Wait until the problem becomes a crime before getting involved •Surrender VS. prosecution •Responsibility falls to Animal Control •Address the initial problem without follow-up visits 32 So What Does Work? •Some agencies have been employing new and innovative ways to approach the problem. •Some of the most successful resolutions to the problem involve a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary approach. •As we now know, animal hoarding has just as much to do with Mental Health as it does Animal Control. •In order to achieve resolution in these cases, agencies must work together within their respective fields of expertise. 33 So What Does Work? 34 Working Together •Cruelty Investigators •Animal Control/Shelters •Veterinarians •Law Enforcement •Housing Authority •Health Department •Protective Services (adult/child/elderly) •Social worker/Public Health Nurses •Mental Health Agencies 35 Outcome Goals for Hoarding Cases •Care for and/or removal of animals at risk •Possible prohibition of human occupancy •Care for people at risk – elderly, children, handicapped •Relapse Prevention •Psychiatric assessment/counseling •Long term probation •Include no=contact order •Unannounced monitoring of home •Restitution to agencies providing care for animals •Possible jail time, as a deterrent to re-offense 36 Outcome Goals for Hoarding Cases Teagan saying “Thank You” 37 What Resources Are Available in Your Community? •The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (USDHUD) •Community Block Grant Funds •Housing and Human Services or Human Services Department is the recipient of annual funding for the rehabilitation of homes in the communities they serve 38 Other Resources •United Way •http://www.211.org/ •Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC) Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding/ •Listing of Community Hoarding Task Forces Website: http://www.hoardingtaskforce.com •ASPCA Professional Website: http://www.aspcapro.org/ 39 40 Lisa Starr Community Initiative Director Community Outreach ASPCA [email protected] 512.627.9897 cell 41
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