Hoarding isn’t rewarding

Hoarding isn’t rewarding

Animal hoarding is a recognised psychiatric condition that results in a serious public health and animal welfare issue with evidence of increasing frequency as people become more isolated from family support systems.

Dr Mandy Paterson, RSPCA Queensland, will today discuss animal hoarding and the important role vets play in recognising the early signs in clients, at the Pan Pacific Veterinary Conference in Brisbane (24-29 May).

According to Dr Paterson, dogs and cats are the most common animals to be hoarded.

“The experience at RSPCA Queensland has been that cats and dogs are more commonly hoarded, but we’ve also had cases involving rodents, birds, horses and wildlife and cases where two or more species are hoarded together.

“Squalor is a finding in almost 100 per cent of cases and in some instances the dwellings are not fit for human habitation. There is often no running water, electricity and the animal hoarder tends to collect other objects, including garbage.

“Hoarders often fail to provide preventive veterinary care. A recent study of animal hoarding in NSW found that in every hoarding case the animals required veterinary treatment and suffered from a range of inflammatory, infectious and nutritional diseases and the majority were underweight. In 41.5% of cases, dead bodies were found.

“Hoarders are more likely to be female, middle-aged or older, and be unemployed or on a pension. Hoarders will deny they have a problem and will resist any type of treatment or help,” she said.

Dr Paterson said that vets are well placed to identify hoarders, both early stage hoarders when intervention may be more successful, and established hoarders who should be referred to the RSPCA or equivalent agency.

Some common red flags to look out for include:

· A different pet brought in each time and often not for a second time

· Pets that are brought in with a traumatic injury or an infectious condition

· Animals presented with conditions that are preventable with adequate care

· Animals that are underweight

· No history of routine care such as vaccination

· Travelling great distances to visit a vet

· Bathing and perfuming an animal to cover up odour

· Being unwilling to say how many animals they have

· Claiming to have just rescued an animal that is in a deplorable state – matted hair, smelling of urine, overgrown nails

· Animal showing signs of confinement such as muscle atrophy.

“If a vet suspects a case of hoarding they should try and build trust with the hoarder and question gently about their animals. Hoarding cases should be reported to relevant authorities.

“Unfortunately there is no state in Australia which recognises animal hoarding as a specific offence. Hoarders are usually charged with animal welfare offences. The best outcome should probably include mandated treatment orders and a ban on owning animals for a number of years, if not a lifetime ban.”

The Pan Pacific Veterinary Conference is a collaboration between the Australian Veterinary Association and the New Zealand Veterinary Association. It is being held at the Brisbane Conference and Exhibition Centre 24-29 May 2015.

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