Collecting or Cruelty?

We had a a pretty bad day on Friday. A total of 33 animals were brought in. 24 of them were cats from just one elderly lady's home in a neighboring area. It was a mix of full grown cats and a number of kittens, all sick, malnourished, and dirty. Many had defects - a sure sign of inbreeding. Our staff spent much of that afternoon euthanizing all of them. This was the classic "little old lady with cats" that people laugh about. But it's no laughing matter. This unfortunate woman was a collector. In many ways she is just as much to be pitied as the cats. Experts now see this behavior as a mental illness, perhaps related to obsessive compulsive disorders. 24 animals is relatively few. In same cases these individuals can have hundreds. While cats are common, collectors can have birds, dogs, reptiles and "pocket pets". They almost always live in unimaginable filth and squalor but seem oblivious to it. There are collectors in almost every community. The sad thing is that, in their minds, they think they are helping the animals and protecting them from being euthanized. They strongly resist giving up the animals and will very often start collecting animals again. While their treatment of the animals is indeed cruel, simply punishing them doesn't solve them problem. To really solve it takes a combination of law enforcement and social services including mental health assistance. Here's how to recognize a potential collector: They may have a large number of animals, either contained or roaming outside. There will be a strong smell of urine and feces noticeable even outside the house or just around the person. You may see malnourished animals and sick animals hanging about. The person may be reluctant to get veterinary care. The person may be secretive or dishonest about the number of animals they own. The person may be reluctant to go outside the home or have anyone in or around the home. Here's what you can do to help: If you know of someone fitting the description above, contact your humane society or animal control officer. Some animal collectors identify themselves as no kill shelters and offer to take in animals. Don’t drop off strays or unwanted pets without seeing the house, building or living area. Do not encourage the person by assisting them with pet food, money, etc. Volunteer to help when an animal collector is discovered by donating pet food, supplies and money to help pay for veterinary costs to the shelter in charge of the rescue. Understand that in many cases the animals are so sick by the time they are discovered that euthanasia is the kindest option. These people and their animals deserve our compassion and our help, not just humilation and scorn.