By Nick Engelfried
When police entered a Long Island home recently, after receiving a tip about dangerous, squalid conditions, they were reportedly greeted with an overwhelming smell of urine and feces. Inside, officers say they encountered over 130 cats living in filthy conditions, plus two dogs confined without food and only a pool of dirty water to drink. According to official accounts, ammonia levels in the house reached levels hazardous to human health, forcing officers to don protective gear. Innumerable fleas reportedly permeated the living space.

Police were alerted to conditions at the house by the 18-year-old daughter of Alena Horbatko, who was arrested and charged with 67 counts of torturing or injuring animals, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, and one count of acting in a manner injurious to a child. Horbatko had apparently been living in the residence with her two daughters, one of whom is only twelve. The older daughter’s decision to contact authorities may have saved both human and animal lives.

Though disturbing, the above story is an all-too-typical example of animal hoarding, a complex phenomenon usually rooted in mental disorders, and affecting an estimated 2-5 percent of the U.S. adult population. Although it’s easy to villainize animal hoarders, many hoarders actually believe they are helping the animals trapped in their homes. These hoarders appear to be motivated by a desire to “rescue” as many animals as possible, combined with an inability to see clearly the effects of their own actions.

Regardless of the person’s motivations, hoarding creates conditions for the affected pets that may become literally unlivable. In many cases, dozens or even hundreds of cats, dogs, or other animals are trapped inside buildings or in tiny yards, without access to food, water, and other basic necessities. The crowded conditions and buildup of urine and feces are conducive to the spread of disease and parasites. It’s not only the animals who suffer; children or other family members living in the hoarder’s home may develop serious health issues as well.

Experts in psychology have suggested there are three types of animal hoarders: the Rescue Hoarder, the Overwhelmed Caregiver, and the Exploiter Hoarder. To understand how animal hoarding happens and what we can do about it, it’s important to understand each type of hoarder and their motivations.

The Rescue Hoarder, by far the most common type of animal hoarder, is typically a person who genuinely cares about the large number of animals under their “care,” but who lacks both the resources to take care of so many pets, and the ability to realistically assess the consequences of their actions. The Overwhelmed Caregiver is in many ways a less extreme version of the Rescue Hoarder. Overwhelmed Caregivers may have some ability to understand what is happening in their home, but tend to minimize the problems. Changing the behavior of both Overwhelmed Caregivers and Rescue Hoarders can be extremely difficult, because the issue is rooted in deep-seated mental health conditions.

Research suggests punishing Overwhelmed Caregivers and Rescue Hoarders with jail time or fines has little to no effect on their behavior. Once released, the person is almost certain to go back to accumulating animals, absent other types of intervention. Mental health counseling may help, and courts can mandate therapy for hoarding perpetrators. However, attempts to treat animal hoarding through counseling have had mixed results. Three-quarters of hoarders suffer from multiple mental or emotional disorders, making the condition exceptionally difficult to treat.

While the large majority of animal hoarders fall into the Rescue Hoarder or Overwhelmed Caregiver subtype, efforts to respond to hoarding are further complicated by the existence of a third type: the Exploiter Hoarder. While the other two subtypes are motivated by genuine, even if misguided concern for animals, the Exploiter Hoarder is more likely to collect animals for some kind of material or financial gain and simply lacks empathy for the creatures under their care. Exploiter Hoarders often experience some form of Antisocial Personality Disorder, and addressing this root cause is likely the best way to treat them.

For Overwhelmed Caregivers and Rescue Hoarders, the best way to prevent future animal hoarding may be frequent check-ins with government or nonprofit workers. Dedicated agents for the Animal Humane Society attempt to form lasting relationships with former hoarders, an approach that ensures the opportunity to intervene early in any backsliding. While it requires much time and patience, this strategy is likely to be more effective than punitive punishment.

In some instances, offering hoarders a chance to voluntarily do the right thing can also be effective–especially for Overwhelmed Caregivers, who have more ability to realistically assess the degree to which they cannot care for their animals. The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends making community spay and neuter programs readily available and offering hoarders the chance to voluntarily surrender their animals to better care.

Of course, caring for hundreds of hoarded animals presents a challenge, regardless of whether or not the hoarder cooperates with animal welfare agencies. Large hoarding cases can overwhelm local shelters and rescue facilities. This makes support from the nearby community a true imperative.

Because of its roots in mental health conditions, hoarding is one of the most difficult animal cruelty crimes to eliminate. In most cases, treating hoarders as malicious criminals is unlikely to be effective–and understanding the specific motivation of hoarders and which subtype they fit into is essential for addressing the issue. Overwhelmed Caregivers, Rescue Hoarders, and Exploiter Hoarders will each respond differently to attempts to intervene, and taking this into account is essential.

What’s certain is that effectively addressing animal hoarding requires extensive cooperation between law enforcement, nonprofits, and members of the public. Only by working together can we combat this society-wide problem, and help the thousands of animals who fall victim to hoarding every year.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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Nick Engelfried Writes About Animals, the Environment, and Conservation for the ForceChange network