# Animal hoarding show on Animal Planet



## mochi_ball (Sep 2, 2011)

This week's episode featured a lady who hoarded around 130 rabbits! The rabbits were in such squalid condition and a few of them looked really sick! I saw ear mites, splayed legs, drenched with urine butts! At the end of the episode, she refused to give them up and I don't know what happened to the rabbits afterwards. It was so sad. Here's the link to a short snippet of the episode. 


http://animal.discovery.com/videos/confessions-animal-hoarding-season-3-casting-tapes/

Click on "Brenda" the 3rd video from top.


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## gmas rabbit (Sep 2, 2011)

Maybe animal protection stepped in and removed them. She would not have been able to keep that many under any condition. Usually they try and get them into an animal rescue. That is what I hope happened to these. If some were too ill, they would have been put down.


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## fuzz16 (Sep 2, 2011)

hopefully she was cited and not allowed to have pets again ):


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## Nancy McClelland (Sep 2, 2011)

I cannot watch shows like that or about any hoarders. When we moved here 4 years ago a woman went missing from Henderson. They found her 6 months later in the house they owned next door under one of the piles that had fallen over when they were cleaning out the house. How bad did it smell that you couldn't find a decomposing body?


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## MagPie (Sep 2, 2011)

Yeah the point of the show is to help the people before they get fined and cited. But she was not willing to go any where with the issue. Saying that she would disappear if they took her rabbits. It was sad. But if someone does report her they will take the animals and fined. She calls herself a rescue but the conditions in the house were aweful. There was a giant hole in the roof, that let rain water in. I understand wanting to help animals and take them in, but theres a limit. You aren't really helping them if they are in poor shape.


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## Nancy McClelland (Sep 2, 2011)

That is not a rescue, as rescues know their limitations. Hoarders are sick in the head--see my other statement above.


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## MagPie (Sep 2, 2011)

Oh I agree with you. Usually this show is very good at helping people deal with the hoarding problem and show them what they are doing to the animals. So far that I have seen most people will give up all or most of the animals to real rescue groups. This lady flat out refused any help even though it was hurting her family.

So the whole situation was sad. Sad for the bunnies and sad for her family, because she was ready to just disappear and never talk to her family if they took the bunnies away.


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## Cheyrul (Sep 3, 2011)

I have no idea why no one reported her for animal abuse, it was so awful. She has no running water, how did she clean anything with no water? The floors were covered with old hay, feces and Lord knows what, she did not sweep or remove it that I could tell. I was horrified. No efforts to keep males and females apart. She also did not seem to provide the rabbits with anything but hay and pellets. I do not understand that.
I have way too many bunnies, way to many for our cages. I have to clean them every day, sweep out poop twice a day and the cage/house still stinks. 
We are not a rescue and I am getting two of my girls fixed next week ... off to make flyers for free baby bunnies ...

Ps; my bunnies are in good health, get MannaPro, fresh hay, fresh herbs and veggies and do have clean environments. Oh, vet care. They get vet care if needed.


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## Brittany85 (Sep 3, 2011)

Those shows are really sad. I feel awful for the bunnies and hope they get taken out of that situation. The thing you have to realize is hoarding is a disorder and they aren't really 'in their right mind'...I am sure in her mind she thinks she is helping them but she isn't. It is a sad situation...
But Cheyrul, I don't think just feeding a rabbit pellets and hay would be considered abusive...At least she is giving hay. I am sure there are a lot of things worse that she is doing/ not doing lol!


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## BunnyLoveÃ¢â¢Â¥ (Sep 4, 2011)

Oohhh I saw this one. It was so sad. She lived in a teeny tiny trailer and it was just lined floor to ceiling with rabbit cages. The worst part was when they showed the camper she slept in where she kept her sick rabbits. It broke my heart. They had huge patches of fur missing, one bun was practically naked. She didn't even care that if she gave them up they would get proper vet care. She kept two boys in her car too. I feel bad leaving my buns in the car for two seconds with all the windows down and hers lived there full time! 

Has anyone seen the other animal hoarders with the man who hoarded bunnies? He didn't have nearly as many as she did, but after they cleaned the house and were shooting the after shots a bunch of rabbits hopped out of the wall. 

Hoarders inspires me though. Whenever I need motivation to clean my house and throw things out, or to not acquire any more rabbits I watch the show.


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## mochi_ball (Sep 4, 2011)

Yes I remember that episode too with the man who had tons of bunnies! That guy was so strange, he had such a bad attitude at first and refused to talk about his issues. For him I think he was just too lazy to get the bunnies neutered and spayed so giving up the rabbits wasn't a hard thing for him to do. I was surprised too when the rabbit hopped out of no where! 

However with the lady hoarder, she was obsessed with her bunnies on a whole new level that was unhealthy because she obviously didn't have the means to provide for them. I hope that someone who watched the episode knows where she lives and will report her to the police!


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## LadyKat (Sep 4, 2011)

I did not see the lady rabbit hoarder, but I did see the man. At least the man was willing to give his bunnies to the rescue place, it was a little funny that the rabbits hopped out of the wall at the end after all the cleaning took place, guess it was the first time the house was quiet.

Overall, I believe hoarding of anything especially animals is so very wrong regardless of if it is Rabbits, Rats, Snakes etc.


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## Cheyrul (Sep 5, 2011)

I did not mean to imply that just feeding hay and pellets is abusive, I do not feel that way but not having running water or the means to thoroughly clean the cages/trailer/home is imo.
Whatever, the show and the smell of our big cage did inspire me to go get one of those dog play pen/run types of cage things. So now I have the remaining 8 "babies" and momma in it, which is nice because we can vacuum & sweep it out, mop and stuff, so we no longer stink. The babes also have plenty of room to run around in it and binky. The kids think it is great because 4 of them (13, 12, 10 and 7) can step over the sides and sit in it, allowing the buns to crawl all over them. Me and the hubby are thrilled because it sort of keeps their mess contained and we can use it for outside playtime if we wish.

I believe my sister is a bird hoarder. She has about 25+ parrots, no furniture, etc. Her cages and house are clean thought. All her pets seem to be in excellent health too. I just don't understand it.


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## jeanluc_pippen_merry (Sep 5, 2011)

There's got to be a screw loose upstairs with hoarders because it's like an obsession, and addiction even. And when you try to take the things they are hoarding away from them it's almost as if you're taking their family away from them. Very sad for both bunnies and hoarder.


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Sep 5, 2011)

*Cheyrul wrote: *


> I believe my sister is a bird hoarder. She has about 25+ parrots, no furniture, etc. Her cages and house are clean thought. All her pets seem to be in excellent health too. I just don't understand it.


Animal hording is not just about numbers, it is also about the care the animals do (or do not) receive. There are breeders who have 100+ rabbits, but they are cleaned regularly, fed, watered and not allowed to breed all the time. While not everyone will agree that this is for the best, it is still better than 100+ rabbits running around loose and breeding all the time with little attempt at cleaning and food is just dumped on the floor or into dirty tubs. Most of the time with hoarders, the animals end up taking over the house and property. Breeders and those who just have many of a species tend to limit the space the animals get (a couple rooms, a shed or barn etc). Most people notice if a pet is injured, dead or sick, hoarders tend to not know and some only find out when they have to clean up and they find the bodies or the very sick animals. 

For the birds, it does not sound like a hoarder to me. However, it is really not enough info to go by and pictures do help when a description can be lacking in detail. If I could, I would love to have a room just for my rabbits, in the house I live in that would be the front room and there would not be furniture. That does not mean I would be a hoarder just because I would have a few more rabbits than most and they get a room that out otherwise be furniture I don't need. 

I am not trying to explain away what some people do, just to point out that numbers aren't everything and that each situation needs to be evaluated on it's own.


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## Cheyrul (Sep 5, 2011)

Maybe she is not then, but her house, but for 2 rooms are devoted to her birds. Since she has been taking care of her granddaughter she has not taken in any new birds to my knowledge. She is also extremely good with her animals.


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## Brittany85 (Sep 5, 2011)

Cheyrul,
I would say if all the animals are cared for appropriately she may not be a hoarder but still it is a strange thing to have that many birds. They probably wouldn't all get the attention they need unless she spends every minute of her time with them. Also the house must not smell too nice...
Everyone who is saying they 'think animal hoarding is wrong'...That is an understatement, of course it is wrong! I think what we need to focus on, which I said before, is that these people are not mentally stable. The animals are a symptom of a mental illness...These people need help first and foremost. I feel compassion for them as they love their animals yet they are making them suffer.


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## Cheyrul (Sep 6, 2011)

I think it smells, like Amazon parrots which have a strong smell to me. It doesn't smell rancid or like rotting food. It is also not covered in dust or dander because she constantly cleans their cages. I rarely go over there because birds are loud and she stays busy. I don't like birds much.


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## MiniLopHop (Sep 6, 2011)

Cheyrul- your sister doesn't sound like a hoarder to me, just passionate about birds.

Sometimes it's hard not to judge someone else's life choices as strange if you don't understand.

My mom, and I'm sure others, think I'm strange and have too many animals. We have 4 house rabbits (bonded into pairs), 2 cats, 8 finches, 2 turtles, 2 gerbils, and a fish tank. We do not have children and my pets take up most of my free time, but I like it like that. They are all rescues, fixed, fed well, kept clean, and given vet care. I would defy anyone to take care of them better. But they all have names (even the fish) and get love on a daily basis. Two of my rabbits are special needs and get LOTS of daily attention.

It's hard to explain why I have so many animals. I want to help animals in need and show them love. My goal is to spoil them and make them as happy as possible. The love comes back to me many times over. Each species has their own way of connecting and showing they are happy.


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## gentle giants (Sep 7, 2011)

I agree with Korr_and_Sophie, to me the difference between a hoarder and someone who just has a lot of animals is the way they are cared for. Hoarders do not get vet care for their animals, do not spay/neuter, do not feed enough or the right kinds of food for whatever animals they have. 
I saw one case where this couple had over a hundred dogs. BUT.... When animal control went in and took their dogs (which I did not agree with) they could only find ONE that had any kind of problem at all. All the dogs were well fed, had glossy shiny coats, etc. The only dog that had a problem was one that had in the past had a broken leg. The leg had been treated by a vet at the time of injury, who put a wire in to hold it together. Unfortunately, now the wire was coming loose and causing the dog to limp.
I think in a case like that, they should have required spays/neuters for the dogs, and left them there. MABYE take the one that needed it's leg fixed, but leave the rest. Now all those dogs were thrown into the shelter system, and I imagine several were pts, because they weren't socialized. How was taking those dogs away good for anyone?


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## MiniLopHop (Sep 7, 2011)

That would be sad if they were healthy to take them all away. I agree perhaps they should have mandated fixing and perhaps said no new animals, but to take them away just because of the number? That seems like it was not in the animal's best interest. At least they were being well cared for. Yes the limping dog should see a vet again, but did the owners get that chance? The shelter system is so overwhelmed as it is, why add animals that are doing well where they are?


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## gentle giants (Sep 8, 2011)

*MiniLopHop wrote:*


> The shelter system is so overwhelmed as it is, why add animals that are doing well where they are?


:yeahthat: Sometimes it seems to me they are just looking for excuses to take animals away....but mabye that is my paranoia talking there. :scared:


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## luvthempigs (Sep 8, 2011)

I wonder if they took the dogs because of a law on how many dogs can be kept in a household? I know where I live you are limited to five dogs unless you have a kennel license. There are no limits on the number of any other pets though.


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## gentle giants (Sep 8, 2011)

I'm not sure. It looked like from the camera views they gave that it was a rural area, but of course you can only see what they show you. I don't remember if they specifically said anything about number of dogs allowed or not.


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## MiniLopHop (Sep 8, 2011)

even so, then they should have helped them get the kennel liscense. IMHO


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## luvthempigs (Sep 8, 2011)

Yea, I didn't see the show you are talking about but I do find it disturbing that someone can come into a home and take away someones animals. I agree that when there are large numbers of animals left to breed at will and animals that are obviously sick that something needs to be done. But I don't agree that someone can come into a home and decide that just by the number of animals or if they don't like/agree with the way they are being cared for that they can be taken away.


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## BunnyLoveÃ¢â¢Â¥ (Sep 9, 2011)

*gentle giants wrote: *


> I saw one case where this couple had over a hundred dogs. BUT.... When animal control went in and took their dogs (which I did not agree with) they could only find ONE that had any kind of problem at all. All the dogs were well fed, had glossy shiny coats, etc. The only dog that had a problem was one that had in the past had a broken leg. The leg had been treated by a vet at the time of injury, who put a wire in to hold it together. Unfortunately, now the wire was coming loose and causing the dog to limp.
> I think in a case like that, they should have required spays/neuters for the dogs, and left them there. MABYE take the one that needed it's leg fixed, but leave the rest. Now all those dogs were thrown into the shelter system, and I imagine several were pts, because they weren't socialized. How was taking those dogs away good for anyone?


I saw that one too. I was surprised how well cared for the dogs looked also. I think it was right to take them though. She still kept twelve which is enough work. I think the issue with that wasn't the way the animals were being neglected, but they way the owners were neglecting themselves. The dogs had the care they needed, but the people were old, sick, and poor. They couldn't take care of themselves and their pets so they chose to take care of the pets. I was annoyed that they took them to the shelter too. They should have offered them some kind of assistance for food to feed the animals and adopted them from her house instead.


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## gentle giants (Sep 9, 2011)

*BunnyLoveâ¥ wrote: *


> *gentle giants wrote: *
> 
> 
> > I saw one case where this couple had over a hundred dogs. BUT.... When animal control went in and took their dogs (which I did not agree with) they could only find ONE that had any kind of problem at all. All the dogs were well fed, had glossy shiny coats, etc. The only dog that had a problem was one that had in the past had a broken leg. The leg had been treated by a vet at the time of injury, who put a wire in to hold it together. Unfortunately, now the wire was coming loose and causing the dog to limp.
> ...


Yeah, you may be right. I don't know if adopting them from their house would have worked either though, the couple was (quite understandably, IMO) very loudly upset and angry about their dogs being taken away. At least if they had all been spayed/neutered the dogs numbers would have slowly decreased naturally, just through dogs passing away from age and such. I just worried about how many of them were pts, because they weren't very socialized.


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