Foovay's Cauldron

For starters, let me admit that I do not like reality shows of any kind.  The only ones I ever enjoyed was cops – and that has more to do with my fascination with crime and law enforcement than love of “reality” shows.  Most of them portray a warped negative reality that has little or nothing to do with anyone’s real life.

I must add to that, that I especially dislike these shows like “Interventions” and “Hoarders”.  While they may actually provide some good in the world by helping one or two people who have real problems and who can benefit from the help they are offered, I believe they create far more pain and negativity for others.  People watch these shows and instantly every one they know who has collected more than five collectibles, or who has taken a recreational drug, or who has any other foible must be mentally ill and needs immediate intervention from the authorities.

This is absolutely not the case.  It is very rarely the case.

The reason I’m on this subject is that I recently happened to see some advertisements for the show “Hoarders”.  I will state up front I have never watched it – although I’ve read a bit and seen some of the videos on the A&E site now.  My immediate reaction to the commercials however, was a groan of agony.

Most of my life I’ve worked with animals and done rescue.  I have had in excess of fifty animals living in my home with me.  Clean, well cared for, well fed, spayed or neutered animals seeking good homes.  But because the news services love to sensationalize every case of animal hoarding most people ASSUME that anyone with over two or three pets IS DEFINATELY A HOARDER in NEED OF THEIR HELP.  Or at least, police or animal control intervention.

This is absolutely not true.  Yet not only myself, but every single rescue person I’ve ever known, and a good many responsible breeders of show quality animals has at one point or another (and some of them many times) been accused of being an animal hoarder and had the authorities called in to investigate.  For someone who dearly loves animals and takes the best of care of them, this is a hurt that never heals.

During the year I was an Animal Control officer I investigated a number of households accused of animal hoarding.  Not one of them was an actual hoarder.  In fact, during that time of all the cases called in to Animal Control – exactly ONE was a true case of animal hoarding.  Sadly, in that case, the animal hoarder was an elderly woman who had died – and only after her death (and after she had laid dead in her home long enough for the smell to cause someone to call authorities) was the conditions she and her animals lived in discovered.   In other words – none of those nosy people bothered to look into her situation while it was going on.  Had one person showed this woman some concern, some love, perhaps it would have saved her life and saved her animals a great deal of suffering.

There is a big difference between a mentally ill animal hoarder and a legitimate rescue person, or responsible breeder.  Before you run to call the police or SPCA, take yourself over to their house with an open mind and talk to them. Find out why they have so many animals, if they work with a vet or other organization doing rescue, or if they have several animals they have bred and shown and sell one or two litters – by reservation – each year.  Look around and see if the animals seem healthy, if the house is clean, if the owner is alert and attached to reality.  You just might meet a really cool person you are proud to know.

For more information about the difference, please read my article Crazy Old Cat Ladies. I just updated it to include more information about animal hoarders and how to tell the difference. Please, pass it on. If I can save one person the heart hurt that I had when I was turned in as a “hoarder” by some self-righteous ignorant (but probably well meaning) busybody who watches too much “reality” TV, it will make my year.

Blessedbe

Summer Fey Foovay

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