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Should I report my dad for animal hoarding?
Okay first of all I DO NOT live with my dad. In fact I haven't even seen him in 7 weeks.
I'm supposed to go to his house every other weekend but I really hate going there so I tend to skip a lot of weekends and he often has things that come up on our weekends so he'll cancel as well.
I feel like my dad is an animal hoarder.
He lives in a 1 bedroom apartment and currently has 11 inside cats and 2 outside cats and one of them is pregnant.
He also has 4 snakes,two whole aqauriums full of mice and an aqaurium of fish.
All of those animals in a one bedroom apartment.
So you can see why I never want to visit him.
I really want to report him and I know they wouldn't tell him who reported him but I'm afraid if they see his place they're going to evict him as well as take all of his animals and I don't want that to happen because he doesn't have enough money to move somewhere else.
He's also a junk hoarder as well but he's getting a lot better with that. The entire back room is filled to the ceiling with junk but he doesn't put anything back there anymore and he's always trying to clean up all of the other rooms.
He has another lady living there now too (a friend of his) and I want to make some sort of secret deal with her where we tell my dad to go out and while he's gone we just pile everything into trash bags and throw it out.
He always complains about not having money but he would if he didn't have all of those animals.
I'm just really afraid he'll lose it if either the animals or the stuff goes away but he really needs to just stop.
He thinks taking in all of the animals is justified because the animals are sick/pregnant when he gets them and then he takes care of them until their well again but then instead of finding homes for them like he says he's going to do he just keeps them.
I'm also worried that they'll take some of the cats and put them to sleep because one of them is blind in both eyes and another is blind in the one eye however both of the cats are really sweet.
What should I do?
I don't want my dad to get in legal trouble or get evicted he just doesn't have the money to find another place and he doesn't do anything bad or evil he loves his animals and he's nursed them all back to good health it's just that he has too many and their making him sick with all the cat fur and ammonia and he already has really bad lungs.
He even had a full blown asthma attack less then a week ago and he's always getting bronchitis.
Any advice is appreciated.
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Hi there,
I'm a researcher for the series Confessions: Animal Hoarding, currently airing on Animal Planet that tells the stories of people overwhelmed by the number of pets they own. The problem is on the rise and affect communities across America.
Since you are concerned about the health of animals in someone's care and suspect they may be hoarding them, we might be able to help.
Most animal hoarders don’t see themselves as hoarders, and sometimes don’t intentionally collect animals. Their relationship with their animals has threatened their relationships with friends and family.
Most of these situations aren’t dealt with until they become criminal. This results in animals being euthanized by over-stressed shelters, and doesn’t address the underlying psychological issues - meaning nearly 100% of people end up in the same situation again.
We are dedicated to finding comprehensive long-term solutions and believe therapy to be key to this. We can bring in experts to help people and their pets.
To submit yourself/ father to the show visit www.animalhoardingproject.com Alternatively, contact our team directly at help@animalhoardingproject.com or toll-free at
1 -877-698-7387.
We will treat all submissions with confidentiality and respect.
I DO NOT recommend taking away his animals/ stuff while he's out. This will only result in him collecting again.
If you aren't interested in contacting our show, I suggest you seek therapy or counseling as hoarding is best treated that way.
I wish you and your father all the best.
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Contact your local animal control, Candore is right, Hoarding is a sign of emotional issues and your father needs help.
I'm going to be blunt, Your father needs help and considering the fact that he has bad lungs it's either someone helps or he can end up dead. After contacting your local animal control department I would highly recommend speaking to your father about getting some therapy or seeking help from a psychiatrist. Often people who are hoardings are in denial they need help or have a problem. I'm puzzled to know how your father has not been evicted yet...
I can tell you that if your father does not seek professional help soon somewhere down the line it could catch up to him and he could be threatened to be thrown out or evicted without warning. I would rather have a pissed off father then take the chance of having your father become homeless. Yes, If your father is unwilling to get help then you need to call the proper people and have them help him. It is extremely unhealthy and his living environment is a health hazard.
Do NOT remove his belongings without his knowledge, This is no way to help his habit. You will put him in emotional distress and possibly make his habit even worse. The only way to help your father is to have your father seek professional help. Also there is a number you can call 1 800 Got Junk that will take pretty much all of his things that he throws out. I believe they show up with a big truck.....There is a great start. Have you ever watched the show Hoarders?....Have you ever thought of contacting them? There is another option.
Now I know you are worry about the possibility of your father getting evicted but the truth is, It can happen either way. You can help him remove the garbage from his home....or someone else can find out and it will be done the hard way.
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Usually this type of behavior is a sign of other emotional issues. It is a type of hoarding and he needs help. I think you do need to start with calling animal control. You don't have to give your name, but think of the poor animals. As much as your Dad may love them, he can't possibly care for all those animals properly. They are suffereing in a small space that is probably filthy. Also, if the problem gets much worse, your dad may actually lose his apartment and then what will he do? If neighbors haven't already noticed the smell and the noise, they surely will soon. You will be helping him by letting animal control know. If your dad will agree, take him to see the doctor about his hoarding. Its not normal or healthy. But if he won't agree, the best you can do is assure him you love him and keep an eye on his animal situation. If it gets out of hand again, call animal control again. But if you don't help him to get rid of some of these animals soon, he definitely will be evicted. There's no doubt about that. Also, if you haven't seen it already, check out the show "Hoarders" on A&E. It may give you some ideas and help you understand him better. good luck.
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If you are worried about getting him in legal trouble, you can take other steps before that.
I would have an intervention with him. Tell him that what hes doing is great, but its bad for his health and its hindering your relationship. Offer to help him find homes for some of the pets he has. Remind him that it isn't fair to the animals to crowd them into tiny spaces, even if he does love them all. Sometimes the best thing to do is not the easiest.
You can also offer to help him clean out his apartment so you would be able to visit more often.
Hope this helps
xxtiffany
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