A Theoretical Perspective to Inform Assessment and Treatment Strategies of Animal Hoarders

By:  Gary J. Patronek & Jane N. Nathanson 

Abstract:  Animal hoarding is a poorly understood, maladaptive,destructive behavior whose etiology and pathology are only beginning to emerge.  We compare and contrast animal hoarding to the compulsive hoarding of objects and proceed to draw upon attachment of objects and proceed to draw upon attachment trauma, and our own clinical experience to propose a developmental trajectory. Throughout life, there is a persistent struggle to form a functional attachment style and achieve positive social integration.  For some people, particularly those affected by a dysfunctional primary attachment experience in childhood, a protective, comforting relationship with animals may form an indelible imprint.  In adulthood, when human attachment has been chronically problematic, compulsive caregiving of animals can become the primary means of maintaining or building a sense of self.  Improving assessment and treatment of animal hoarders requires attention to contributing psychosocial conditions, while taking into account the centrality of the animals to the hoarder’s identity, self-esteem and sense of control. It is our hope that the information presented will provide a basis upon which clinicians can focus their own counseling style, assessment, and methods of treatment.  More

POLITICS: Boots on the Ground for Animals

BY:  Michael Markarian, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund

As everyone knows, money talks. Whether an animal welfare law will be effective often turns on whether it gets adequately funded. And that spending is vital even when it comes in the worst economic times since the Great Depression. Our fortunes are intertwined with those of animals, and proper enforcement not only helps these creatures but also helps to improve food safety, public health, disaster preparedness, and other social concerns.

Thanks to the leadership of Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.), a strong bipartisan group of 135 representatives—nearly one-third of the U.S. House—has submitted a letter to the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommitteerequesting funds to improve enforcement of key animal welfare laws in Fiscal Year 2010. These funds are critically needed to implement and enforce the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the Animal Welfare Act, the federal animal fighting law, and programs to help prepare for the needs of animals in disasters and to address the shortage of veterinarians in rural and inner-city areas and public health practice.

Now, Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and David Vitter (R-La.) are leading a parallel effort in the U.S. Senate. Please urge your two senators to co-sign the Senate animal welfare funding group letter being circulated by Senators Levin and Vitter, or make their own individual requests, before the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee’s deadline of May 8th. Click here to find your two U.S. senators and their phone numbers…”  More

Huge rise in abandoned pets as recession bites: RSPCA

LONDON (AFP) – Household pets have become the latest victim of the global slowdown, with the number abandoned rising by more than 50 percent in the past year, the RSPCA said on Monday.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called for people to donate more time or money to help it support the thousands of extra animals across England and Wales that were dumped by their owners.

Last year, a total of 11,586 pets were abandoned in what was a 57 percent increase on the 7,347 supported by the charity in 2007. In the first two months of this year, the RSPCA said a further 1,432 animals were abandoned.

“It is a crisis out there for the animals,” said Tim Wass, the RSPCA inspectorate’s chief officer. “It is a challenging time for the RSPCA .. Now more than ever we need the public’s support,” he said, adding: “It’s only because of the public’s help that we’re able to do what we can.”

The RSPCA said that, coupled with the growing number of animals it is having to support, its financial position has worsened because of fewer donations and a decline in income from legacy gifts because of the property market fall. Link

Just how did that clutter accumulate, anyway?

By Ruth Wong, Star Bulletin

“…How does clutter accumulate? There are many reasons, but here are four common ones. Do any apply to you?

» Difficulty deciding. Sometimes it’s just too hard to decide whether to keep something, so we keep it. That’s how piles start. As is commonly said, “clutter is the result of postponed decisions.”… More

Apr 13, 2009:  Hoarding makes home and life unlivable

Experts examine cases of animal hoarding

By Katy Moeller - McClatchy Newspapers

“…”I think of these as little animal concentration camps. It’s disturbing,” said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the Idaho Humane Society. “The animals suffer horribly.”…

…Experts say a common misconception about animal hoarders is that they are people who simply took on too much and fell behind, or got overwhelmed, by the care and feeding of the animals they rescued from certain death.

In reality, hoarders compulsively collect animals and/or allow them to reproduce even as conditions deteriorate. They lack awareness and sympathy for the creatures they inadvertently torture in the name of rescue, said the Boston vet, Dr. Gary Patronek.

“This is not about helping animals at all; it’s about helping themselves,” he said. “It’s about helping fill their own bucket of need through animals.” Animal hoarding is believed to be borne of mental illness, but there hasn’t been enough study of the problem for medical experts to agree on the underlying causes or possible triggers…”  More