Illustration by Tabi Walters
This summer, the Humane Society of Huron Valley rescued 149 cats from four homes in Ann Arbor Twp., Ypsilanti, Manchester, and Northville. How does a household go from caring for a few animals to more than it can manage, and why can it be so difficult to ask for help?
“True animal hoarding,” writes HSHV president Tanya Hilgendorf, “is a serious mental illness in which people don’t recognize the animal cruelty or unsafe living conditions they’ve created for themselves or their families. And shelters are left to deal with the consequences. It has a high rate of recurrence, and simply removing the animals doesn’t solve the problem. That is why ongoing intervention and monitoring are essential.”
Wendy Welch, HSHV’s director of communications, explains in an email that these situations may start with good intentions: caring for animals in need, or taking in just one more stray. If animals aren’t spayed or neutered, they can multiply.
“People might also not reach out to us because they’re afraid or embarrassed—afraid they might get in trouble, or embarrassed by what’s happening in their life,” she writes.
Welch says warning signs include poor sanitation, odor, visible animal weight loss or sickness, social isolation, or stress about the cost of caring for too many animals. “Such situations rarely get better on their own—so the earlier you reach out to us, the better,” writes Welch. “When animals depend on us to speak for them, of course, we’re just as often helping the people in these situations.”
When HSHV learns of an animal hoarding situation, they also alert other social service organizations as necessary. “Research shows abuse often begins with animals before moving to people—so helping the animals helps perhaps even more people than you know,” Welch notes.
Beyond its rescue and adoption programs, HSHV serves as the county’s primary point of contact for lost or found pets, offers pet food and veterinary assistance for those in financial need, behavior and training support, a temporary harbor program for pet owners in crisis, a Trap-Neuter-Return program for community cats, and, Welch says, “a whole team of staff and volunteers who are here to help animals and the people who love them.”
Related: No-Kill Shelter (March 2024)
As for the cats rescued this summer, Hilgendorf reports that some have already been adopted, while others are still at HSHV, either receiving care or awaiting an adopter who can provide for their special needs—“many haven’t been touched much so they need folks who will go slowly,” she explains. “We currently have 324 kittens and cats in our care; a little over 150 of them are ready for adoption/about to be ready!”
To report suspected neglect, abuse, or abandonment, call (734) 661–3512 or visit hshv.org/report. HSHV keeps reports anonymous unless the law requires otherwise.
Related: HSHV’S Newest Cause (Oct. 2023)