A Program of The Humane Society of the United States
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Animal Sheltering Magazine Articles
 

Q & A: Calling in the Cavalry
Jill Lancon, director of Marion County Animal Services in Florida, describes the rescue of 126 horses—full size and miniature—in an unusual hoarding case. More...

 
 

Hoarding and Feral Cat Programs Now on DVD
Feeling overwhelmed and a little lost when it comes to handling animal hoarding cases or managing ferals? Two new DVDs from The HSUS can help guide you through these challenging situations. More...

 
 

The 101 Department: Animal CSI: Gathering the Evidence
Animal cruelty cases may end in the courtroom, but they start at the scene—and they can be made or broken by the quality of the evidence you gather. Here's a beginner's guide to assembling the pieces of your case. More...

 
 

What Happens to Hoarders?
Ever wonder what happens to an animal hoarding case once it leaves the headlines? Though results of recent research on this topic are sobering, they provide a roadmap for improving our collective response to hoarding cases. More...

 
 

Opening the Closed Door: Strategies for Coping With Animal Hoarders
In exploring the phenomenon of hoarding, this article examines communitywide approaches to a problem no agency can solve alone. More...

 
 

A Round of Appaws
Exit Wounds, a novel from J.A. Jance, includes a hoarder among its characters—and has the potential to bring the issue to thousands, if not millions, of mainstream readers. More...

 
 

The Psychiatric Times, They Are A-Changin'
A recently published article examines the psychological aspects of animal hoarding also signals new recognition for this disorder. More...

 
 

Shedding Some Light on Animal Hoarders
A group of researchers is taking a closer look at the problems posed by animal collectors—more properly called "animal hoarders"—using a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach.  More...

 
 

Adopting an Abused Animal: What You Should Know
An information sheet developed by the New York State Humane Association gives potential adopters the facts about adopting an abused pet.  More...

 
 
HSUS Publications
 

Animal Hoarding: A Community Task Force Solution
This video offers an introduction to the hoarding phenomenon as well as a glimpse of the severe conditions that can result from hoarding. The video and accompanying brochure emphasize the necessity of cooperation and collaboration among local agencies to tackle the problem. More...

 
 
Policies and Guidelines
 

Animal Hoarders Fact Sheet
An animal hoarder is a person who amasses more animals than he/she can properly care for. Such individuals generally fail to recognize—or refuse to acknowledge—when the animals in their custody become victims of gross neglect. More...

 
 

Handling Animal Collectors, Part 2: Managing a Large-scale Rescue Operation
For staff and volunteers of animal care and control agencies, the rescue operation is the most intense and emotional part of any animal collector case. Alleviating the suffering of the animals at hand becomes the immediate focus.  More...

 
 

Handling Animal Collectors, Part 1: Interventions That Work
For investigators and their humane agencies, a collector case is one of the toughest to resolve. Four characteristics in particular set collector cases apart from other cruelty and neglect cases.  More...

 
 
Related Resources
 

Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium
The site aims to bring together the work of HARC as well as credible resources from throughout the U.S. to help you better understand the phenomenon of animal hoarding, its impact on individuals and communities, and its sentinel role for elder abuse and neglect, child abuse and neglect, and adult self-neglect. More...