September 13, 2007

Zoo keeper?

Paris Hilton has so many pets she has to employ a zoo keeper to look after them all.

Seeing this headline made me think of the woman who made news last month for hoarding 100 animals and 80+ cats. I keyed in the phrase pet abuse and found a data base site that recorded pet abuse and updates on the offender. Much to my surprise, for the abuse type of hoarding alone, 17 cases have been reported since August this year.

Anyway, before what I write becomes entertainment fodder, Paris Hilton is NOT a compulsive hoarder. People with the means to nourish and care for their pets are called pet fanciers, just like real dog breeders.

People who keep too many animals for amusement or gain are called compulsive hoarders, this is a mental illness that is a variant of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In their minds, they love their animals and they can't find it in their hearts (in their mind especially) to let go. This may be a personality disorder or can be brought about by addiction, dementia and even focal delusion.

Even without knowledge of what the sickness is called, there are people out there who notice a pet owner with a number of pets that are not cared for. Hoarders are characterized by the unkempt household, the smell of urine on everything and anything in or out of the house.

I guess knowing that the ASPCA has a "Hoarding Prevention Team" that anyone can call and report cases to help the poor pets.

Filed under Blog by Megan M.