[irongrl]

I believe it's hoarding when you have so many animals that you are overwhelmed. If you cannot properly care for the animals you have and you continue to get more. When you AND your animals are living in filth because you have too many animals to pick up after. If you cannot say no to a dog when you already have 6 and you cannot properly care for them, that is hoarding.

I dont mind if people have 20 dogs as long as they have the money to take care of them, they are walked, fed, played with, loved and taken to the Vet when they need medical treatment. They can have as many as they want IMO.

Personally I think that I would feel overwhelmed with 7 or more animals.

I agree with this definition of hoarding. I don't think anyone on this board would qualify as a hoarder. This is a hoarder:

Crews find more dogs as cleanup continues at Detroit-area home; more than 100 rescued so far | MLive.com

 

[Chicagocanine]

Selzer,
I think it also goes without saying that those with multiples usually do it to have a dog. They fully enjoy the training, the love, and the work that goes into it.
People who usually have one dog (in my experiance) did the 'ooooo soo pretty!' in the petstore and let it become a little monster.

I've had between 1-3 dogs at once and I don't think that is the case. I've only had one dog since I lost my two seniors and got Bianca (with multiple cats.)

I do know some people who get a dog and don't train it, but I know people who did the same with 2-3+ dogs.

 

[AgileGSD]

I think a lot of people, thanks to media have a rather skewed idea of what hoarding is. Hoarding isn't really about the number or the care but is a mental condition that sometimes involved animals (and often involved other "stuff", such as those featured on the tv show Hoarders). People can have a bunch of dogs that are poorly cared for and not be "hoarders". They can also have just a couple animals and still be "hoarders" because the the condition is not really about animals.

My personal opinion is that due to the media and AR groups, "hoarder" has become the new "puppy mill". It's a label most people can't define but is often used to harm or pass judgment on others. I have heard people accused of "becoming hoarders" who have four well cared for, titled dogs because they considered adding a fifth dog. I've also heard many people say there is absolutely no way anyone can properly care for more than X number of dogs and anyone who has more than that is probably a hoarder (or a puppy mill...).

 

[selzer]

Probably twenty or more years ago, some author with a c-name, wrote the burglar series, anyway, the burglar's lesbian groomer friend in one of his books, had one cat locked in the closet when he came over. He said, he had never seen this cat.

Her response was, if you have one cat, ok. two cats, still ok. When you have three cats, suddenly your the lady with cats -- not ok.

There is a perception about how many animals is too many animals, but it really does not have to do with hoarding.

My house is a mess -- messy, that does not make me a hoarder. If I had dog poop and urine everywhere in the house, THEN I would probably be hoarding and not just a slob.

Hoarders, cannot SEE when their animals are suffering, either skin problems, grooming issues, lack of body condition. They also do not recognise the urine and fecies in their home.

I mean, I have two x-pens in the room with doggy doors to the outside. If one of the dogs in those areas, rolled in something nasty, I know it right away and have to seek and destroy. Hoarders do not notice the stench, festering wounds, matted hair, curled toenails, sometimes dead dogs laying in rooms. It is a terrible illness.

A puppy mill person could actually leave their dogs in small cages, with poo build up, underfed with skin conditions due to poor nutrician or hygiene, but that does not make them hoarders. It makes them criminals.

So there are really two questions, what is a hoarder? and how many is too many? or When is enough enough.

People can be overwhelmed by the number of dogs, without actually hoarding. I think that people who continue to live with an overwhelming number of pets, are setting themselves up if they are prone to become hoarders though. One good emotional shock can do it if the propensity for hoarding is there.

My grandmother was a hoarder. She had paths through her house. There were five couches in the living room we did not know were there. She had 28 full sets of dishes in her dining room. And tons and tons and tons of everything else.

Thankfully, she did not hoard animals.

I think animal hoarders are the worst, because of the suffering to the animals, and the unhealthyness of living with urine and fecies.

 

[Jessiewessie99]

Someone who owns 10 dogs is not a hoarder. if they had 20+ dogs, I might start to question their mental state. But if you are not crazy and can own many animals and be able feed love, provide medical care, train all those dogs and make sure they are happy and healthy then go ahead.