Understanding Animal Hoarding : Animal Hoarding : Animal Planet

Psychology of a Hoarder

By Laurie L. Dove

For some animal lovers, their good intentions of providing a loving home for their pets have gone awry. They may have started out with just a few pets, but then those animals began to reproduce. Or perhaps they initially set out to rescue abandoned animals and soon find themselves overwhelmed with the responsibility.

Regardless of how it starts, animal hoarders stockpile creatures who live in inhumane conditions. In fact, the number of pets matters less than the care they're given. A handful of cats living in filth and feces without adequate food or water are obviously more problematic than a dozen felines living like royalty. But here's the rub: animal hoarders continually add pets to their collections, and as volume builds, so do logistics. (Hundreds of animals at a time have been seized from self-proclaimed rescuers.) Overwhelmed but in denial, animal hoarders are unable to care for their pets but believe no one else can live up to their "high standards" of care.

The truth is, animal hoarding isn't really about the animals at all. It's prompted by a deep-seated emotional trigger that's difficult to pin down and even harder to treat. Many animal hoarders have experienced childhood or adult trauma, and hoarding offers a misguided way to cope.

Next: Inside the Mind of an Animal Hoarder

CONTENT

Animal Hoarding

Understanding Animal Hoarding

Psychology of a Hoarder

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