It Got Out of Hand - From My Window

In the last few months, I became aware of two situations where a person’s love for animals got out of hand.  Such situations are often referred to as “animal hoarding.” 

The first occurred near my home.  Nine dogs were found after their person died unexpectedly.  The man’s home was fouled with droppings.  He lived alone, and it was apparent the dogs never left the inside of the house, even to relieve themselves.  The reason?  I’d speculate the homeowner was fearful his neighbors would report him for violating animal control laws regarding the number of animals in city limits.  The dogs were terrified of people, because it seems they never saw anyone but their owner.  One dog was pregnant, and another so sick it had to be euthanized.  Fortunately, a local rescue that didn’t have any room or funds swooped in and took the dogs anyway.  All were mixes, and they were placed in foster homes for rehabilitation after vetting.  All will be surgically altered.  The rescue reached out to the community for help with the enormous expenses, and horrified animal lovers were generous.

The second situation came to my attention while in a veterinarian office in Oklahoma where I brought my son’s two recently adopted kittens for shots.  There was a hand-written sign on the vet’s wall, with a blurry picture of a group of six cats taped to it.  “I have 19 kitties that need a home, ages 3-14.  All are fixed house cats that love people and get along well.”  “I’ve lost my home and can no longer take care of them.”  A name and phone number followed.

Another heartbreak.  It is likely (guessing from the handwriting,) that this is an elderly man.  If he needs to relocate to senior housing or a care facility, pets are seldom allowed, and I am sure NO ONE would take 19 cats in a rental.  This number would overwhelm any small-town shelter, so surrendering them is probably not an option either, as no one would have room.  The number of people looking for adult cats, especially older ones, is small.

Before I got more knowledgeable about animal rescue, I would have condemned these people as abusive, ignorant, or neglectful.  Now that I know better, I do better.  I would probably have found fellow animal lovers in both of these men; they were no doubt doing the best they knew or could.  Sometimes people take in animals they know are in critical need out of compassion, but they never say no, and soon they clearly have more than they can properly care for.  Some can’t afford or don’t believe in sterilization, and a couple of animals turn into a dozen quickly. 

I view the men in these two situations much more kindly than I do the operators of Wisconsin puppy mills, where mostly small mixed breeds live for years in tiny cages, standing in their own excrement and matted with filth.  Their teeth rot, and they are terrified of people, with good reason.  When they are worn out from constant breeding after eight or more hellish years, they are discarded, nameless, like trash.  

No, these two people loved their animals, and their animals loved them.  Unfortunately, the human’s situations changed, and what results is a heartbreaking mess.

The surviving dogs will be okay, because a rescue chose to get involved in this tough situation.  Thank God for people like them. I know some of the dogs have recovered quickly and are placed in new homes.  I hope their deceased owner is at peace, knowing that most of his dogs are going to be okay.

The cats are a much harder situation. I know from my 18 years in Oklahoma that their shelters overflow, and small town “dog catchers” euthanize unclaimed stray animals in as little as 72 hours, as they are overwhelmed with new arrivals.  Outright animal abuse and neglect are rampant.  This man’s chances of safely rehoming 19 cats on his own, in whatever timeframe he needs, are very low.  I had an impulse to offer to take four to rehome in Wisconsin, but I was flying.  It was one of many hard moments I endure, knowing I can’t save them all. But I wish I could. I can well imagine this man’s heartbreak, as attached as I am to my own animal companions.

What I hope people remember about this column is that most people are good people.  These two men cared about their animals.  We can criticize the situations, but that does nothing to help.  In order to help people currently in situations like this, that are not the result of deliberate neglect, or outright abuse; you must have empathy for the person involved.  The animals are not the only ones in need of our compassion; their humans deserve it, too.

HAPPY EASTER!  This joyful holiday, rooted in faith, is also a celebration of the arrival of spring.  It will conjure up memories of egg hunts and railroad track hikes with my cousins; a celebration of “Peeps,” and the nasty taste of black jellybeans.

I welcome commentary, alternative viewpoints or ideas at this e-mail address:  JanieTMartin@gmail.com