|
Animal Hoarding - A Growing Concern in Lee County
Apr 18, 2007 April is Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month. Media Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Animal Hoarding – A Growing Concern in Lee County Fort Myers, FL, April 1, 2007 – Lee County Animal Services deals with various types of animal cruelty on a daily basis. An increasing number of these cases involve animal hoarding, a mental disorder that is widely misunderstood and under-recognized as a community problem affecting both humans and animals. Animal Services has chosen to highlight this type of abuse during April, Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month, to educate the public about this relatively unknown crime and its affect on the community. Some common characteristics of animal hoarders include: o An obsessive compulsive disorder that compels them to accumulate many animals and often many other inanimate objects; o Refusal to part with any animals even when they could be placed in good homes or are sick and suffering; o Intelligence and a cunning ability to gain sympathy for themselves despite their abusive behavior; o A private life that may be in stark contrast to their personal life; o Denial of the situation they have created for the animals in their care and the other members of their household; o Recidivism – most hoarders will return to their old behavior without professional help even after being convicted of cruelty to animals. In a recent Tufts University study, some of the agencies that may be required to effectively deal with the complexities of this problem are; Animal Control Agencies, Health Departments, Mental Health Agencies, Law Enforcement, Code Enforcement, Housing Administration, Department of Agriculture, Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services, and Fire Departments. To better understand animal hoarding and its impact on the community, Lee County Animal Services encourages the public to read the Anyone with information involving local cases of animal hoarding or any type of animal abuse should contact Lee County Animal Services at (239) 432-2083.
|