Monday, January 29, 2007

Task force suggested to fight (Animal) hoarding

 Strict law enforcement doesn't stop the problem, the official said...

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER YOUNGSTOWN —

Stories about animal hoarders most often become public when a neighbor or someone else complains to authorities about the odor or condition of the animals and where they live. Several local cases have been investigated in recent years by Animal Charity, the Humane Society and public health and law enforcement officials.

The results of hoarding are easy to see: dead and dying animals, sometimes numbering in the hundreds in one dwelling, and the accompanying unsanitary conditions for animals and humans. Reasons why hoarders collect animals, however, are not so transparent: Is it a sad tale of good intentions gone awry? The result of psychiatric problems? A combination of these — or something else?

The problem has become prevalent enough to prompt Matthew Stefanak, Mahoning County District Board of Health commissioner, to call for organizing a task force of various community organizations to help the hoarders control what he describes as an addiction. Official's goal Stefanak would like to see involvement by Animal Charity, law enforcement agencies, public and medical health officials, governmental officials, veterinarians, emergency response agencies such as Help Hotline, and social services agencies. Stefanak said hoarding is a psychiatric behavior disorder than can lead to public health nuisances and risks, which is why his department gets involved.

Strict law enforcement doesn't eliminate the problem, because hoarders relapse, said Stefanak, leading him to believe a new and broader approach is needed to keep them from repeating. Animal hoarding is probably more pervasive than is known, said Neil Altman, Youngstown Health District health commissioner. Altman said he will participate in the task force, but would also like to see stronger laws to help authorities deal with the problem. He said Youngstown has a law that limits the number of pets in a house without a kennel license. He wants the law to go further.

Research shows that cats are the animal of choice for hoarders. For that and other reasons, Altman said he'd like to see cats treated under the law the same as dogs, including licensing. He favors a state law that would allow authorities to pick up stray cats, which he said can be a danger to humans because they are among the first animals to come into contact with raccoons, some of which are rabid. Altman said he would like to require pet stores and kennels and breeders to report to the appropriate authorities abnormal numbers of animal purchases by individuals. No exact profile Stefanak said there is no precise profile of the typical animal hoarder, except they tend also to hoard inanimate objects and be elderly people living alone. The problem may even increase with the growing elderly population, who often live alone and tend to hoard more than more active younger people, he said. "Most animal hoarders are not belligerent. They simple don't understand the consequences of hoarding to themselves, their animals and their neighbors," Stefanak said.

In a related matter, the county health board entered into a $3,000 contract to retain the services of Animal Charity's humane agent, Jason Osborne, to help the board with hoarding cases. "That is an example of collaboration. Having the humane agent on retainer is an important step approaching the problem," Stefanak said. Stefanak said he envisions the task force providing education to the community and its organizations about hoarding and exploring ways to work together to alleviate the problem.

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