What is exactly IS a hoarder?

[CBrewton5]

Recently on GL there was the post about the woman who had 100 pigs that they were trying to get away from her, some she was giving up willingly, some not. Obviously, that's a hoarder, but what's the criteria for the 'borderline' cases. Some of you have 10-12 piggies, that's not hoarding, but I've just read an e-mail on another list I'm on from a woman that has 33!!! Would that be considered hoarding? Is it the number, or the manner in which they are kept that specifies someone as a 'hoarder' versus someone who just has alot of pets?

I posted this here in The Kitchen cuz I figured it might have the potential to be a controversial subject. Mods can move it to where ever is more appropriate as you see fit

[homeschoolmama]

I think a hoarder is defined less by numbers, and more by how the pets are cared for. In my case, if I were to take on more than about 4 pigs I think I would consider myself hoarding... just because I can't properly afford to house or feed more than that. That's a LOT of square-footage devoted just to pets! Not to mention vet-bills if (Heaven forbid) everyone were to come down with something at the same time.
love,
mom

[Ly&Pigs]

My personal definition of a hoarder is someone who has X (whether it be 1 or 1000) amount of animals that they cannot properly care for in terms of food, caging, supplies, veterinary costs, etc. They have too many animals and not enough money to properly care for them. Rescues/Rescuers and shelters would not fall under a "hoarder" definition.

I personally would also define some breeders as hoarders. There are a lot of breeders who have a too high number of stock and inadequate conditions and don't take their pigs to the vet if needed.

[katiecavyNC]

I think many 'hoarder' cases are often people who have good intentions at first but then get in over their head - either due to breeding getting out of control, or sometimes they have a compulsion to 'rescue' animals or collect pets and the person gets so many they can't properly care for them.

In my opnion hoarders have these characteristics:

1) more animals than they can properly care for - including feeding, housing and vet care
2) animals are usually piled on top of each other, in and around the house, and often have made the people's living conditions uninhabitable or unsanitary as well as the pets'
3) the inability to 'see' the problem and ask for help. Many times these folks are just blind to how bad the conditions are either because they are in denial, are mentally incapable, isolated from other people, etc.

If you watch the animal rescue shows on animal planet, you often see these cases where it really is benign neglect, rather than conscious cruelty. The hoarder insists their pets are fine or the bad conditions are just a temporary thing due to bad health, etc. I find myself feeling really sorry not just for the animals but also for the owner because so many times you can tell the owner truly cares emotionally for the animals and consider them 'family'. They just aren't able to care for them physically or financially.

[krittercrazy]

"An animal hoarder was defined as "someone who accumulates a large number of animals; fails to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation and veterinary care; and fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals (including disease, starvation and even death) or the environment (severely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions), or the negative impact of the collection on their own health and well-being.""
a quote from - Psychiatric Times
Hoarders tend to believe that they are rescuing unwanted/abused animals and that no one else can or is capable of providing care. Removing the animals from them is only a temporary fix. Very sad.