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Articles Tagged with: cruelty prevention fund drive
4 Main Characteristics of Animal Hoarding

ARL reminds you: if you SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

As National Animal Safety and Protection Month comes to an end, the ARL reminds our supporters how to identify animal hoarding and the steps you can take to help prevent animals from future harm.

Animal hoarding is a serious, yet under-recognized community problem in Massachusetts that is responsible for substantial animal suffering. Often associated with adult self-neglect and/or mental illness, animal hoarding can also place children, the elderly, dependent adults, property, and public health at risk.

While the 7 subtle warning signs of animal cruelty could indicate animal mistreatment, neglect, or abuse, animal hoarding is defined by these 4 main characteristics:

1. Failure to provide minimal standards of sanitation, space, nutrition, and veterinary care for animals.

According to Lt. Alan Borgal, director of law enforcement at the ARL, “animals suffer mostly from lack veterinary care, spay or neutering, poor nutrition, and no access to adequate clean water. As a result, they are often infested with external parasites like fleas while competing for food and attention.”

2. Inability to recognize the effects of this failure on the welfare of the animals, humans in the household, and environment.

Children, the elderly, and the handicapped are also subject to and unable to escape from these unsanitary and abusive conditions,” explains Dr. Gary Patronek, founder of the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium. “The hoarder fails to see the harmful health effects that living in an ammonia-rich and parasite infested environment causes themselves and others.”

3. Obsessive attempts to accumulate/maintain a collection of animals in the face of progressively deteriorating conditions.

“We typically encounter cases where the hoarding involves more objects than animals. The result is cluttered and unsanitary living spaces; the kitchen and the bathroom are the first to go.,” describes Lt. Borgal.

4. Denial or minimization of problems and living conditions for people and animals.

“In many cases, the hoarder is completely unaware of the situation,” shares Dr. Gary Patronek, “which is why we believe that there is a strong link between psychological disorders and animal hoarding.”

animal hoarding

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING… To your local authorities about concerns you have about animals in distress; to friends, families, and colleagues to raise awareness about the serious issue of animal hoarding; to Massachusetts elected officials to urge them to pay attention to this urgent community issue!

Only 2 days left to help prevent animals from future harm!

Although ARL’s law enforcement department is often called upon to assist local authorities and municipalities with a variety of animal protection issues, such as hoarding, it receives no government funding to provide this kind of assistance to animals in need. This important work is only made possible with YOUR support!

An anonymous donor who has a strong belief in caring for and protecting animals has challenged us to triple a $5,000 donation and raise $15,000 before the end of October to support the ARL’s law enforcement team. All donations to ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive will help pay for the on-going efforts of our law enforcement team to provide animals in need with assistance.

DONATE NOW

As a SPECIAL THANK YOU from WBZ 1030 News Radio… Donate $100 or more by midnight TODAY, Friday, October 30 and you will automatically be entered to win a $50 gift card to The Outlook Restaurant & Lounge in Nashoba Valley, MA.!

Click here or on the DONATE button below to make a donation to the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive.

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VERY SPECIAL THANKS to our anonymous challenge donor, WBZ 1030 News Radio, and everyone who has made a donation to support animals in need during the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive!


ARL Talks Animal Hoarding at Fall Educational Forum

Thank you to supporters for bringing awareness to complex community issue

Earlier this week, over 40 of the ARL’s biggest supporters came together at the Ink Block South End in Boston for the President’s Council Fall Educational Forum. The group included corporate sponsors, as well as members of our Board of Directors and our President’s Council, individuals who donate $1,000 or more annually to help animals in need.

Moderated by former WCVB anchor and animal advocate Susan Wornick,  Dr. Gary Patronek, animal hoarding expert and founder of the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium, and Lt. Alan Borgal, director of law enforcement at the ARL. discussed the complex topic of animal hoarding and how the ARL approaches situations where animals and people are at risk.

animal hoarding

Moochie was seen at the event wearing her See Something, Say Something t-shirt in honor of National Animal Safety & Protection Month!

During their engaging exchange, Dr. Patronek explained the academic theories behind the psychological factors that make up an animal hoarder, while Lt. Borgal shared stories about the hoarding situations that he’s investigated over the last 45 years of his career.

“Animal hoarding is an urgent and serious community problem effecting cities and towns across Massachusetts,” explained Lt. Borgal. “The situations that the Animal Rescue League of Boston encounter are becoming more frequent and increasingly complex. These cases are a huge strain for the ARL financially, as well as on our other departments and services, such as the rescue team, Spay Waggin’, intake, veterinarians, shelter staff, and foster families.”

As guests arrived, they were greeted by the wagging tail of Moochi (pictured right) who came to the ARL from a recent animal hoarding case.

Thanks to our amazing host and generous food and beverage vendors, guests enjoyed the cocktail-hour portion of the event enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres, sipping on a variety of cold refreshments, and meeting-and-greeting fellow animal lovers.

animal hoarding

Susan Wornick, Dr. Gary Patronek, and ARL’s Lt. Alan Borgal sit down to talk about the complex topic of animal hoarding.

The program concluded with Mary Nee, president of the ARL, thanking the members of the President’s Council for their generous support and explaining the impact of their donations during the Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive on the thousands of animals who are rescued from animal hoarding cases each year.

Mary Nee’s final ask was for everyone in the audience to take the information they learned from the night’s event and use it to spread awareness to their family, friends, personal networks, members of the community, and Massachusetts elected officials.

THANK YOU again to our generous donors for helping to prevent animal suffering, cruelty, abandonment, and neglect through your support of the Animal Rescue League of Boston!

And a special thank you to our amazing guest host, speakers, and corporate supporters of the Fall Educational Forum…

Susan Wornickanimal hoarding
Dr. Gary Patronek
Lt. Alan Borgal
Ink Block
Unit Realty Group
Formaggio Kitchen South End
Whole Foods South End
Baroo
Boston Veterinary Care
Boston Audio Rentals
ProPrint

ONLY 3 DAY LEFT… To DONATE to ARL’s Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive!

An anonymous donor who has a strong belief in caring for and protecting animals has challenged us to triple a $5,000 donation and raise $15,000 before the end of October to support the ARL’s law enforcement team. All donations to ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive will help pay for the on-going efforts of our law enforcement team to provide animals in need with assistance.

DONATE NOW

As a SPECIAL THANK YOU from Ayushi… The first (3) people to donate $100 or more TODAY, Thursday, October 29, will receive $100 worth of cruelty-free vegan skin and hair care products from Ayushi!

Click here or on the DONATE button below to make a donation to the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive.

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VERY SPECIAL THANKS to our anonymous challenge donor, Ayushi, and everyone who has made a donation to support animals in need during the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive!


Lt. Alan Borgal & Dr. Gary Patronek Explain Animal Hoarding

SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING – What You Can Do to Help Animals and People at Risk

Animal hoarding is an urgent and serious community problem effecting cities and towns across Massachusetts.

According to Lt. Alan Borgal, director of law enforcement at the ARL, “the situations that the Animal Rescue League of Boston encounters are becoming more frequent and increasingly complex.”

Hoarding situations cause substantial long-term animal suffering and often lead to more advanced forms of animal cruelty. Often associated with adult self-neglect and/or mental illness, animal hoarding can also place children, the elderly, dependent adults, property, and public health at risk.

ARL Blog sat down with Lt. Alan Borgal and Dr. Gary Patronek, founder of the Hoarding of Animal Research Consortium and noted animal hoarding expert, hear them explain the complex issue of animal hoarding:

animal hoarding quick statsARL Blog: What is animal hoarding?

Dr. Patronek: Animal hoarding shares many of the same characteristics and behaviors of ‘object hoarding’, a massive accumulation of objects due to excessive emotional attachment to possessions.  The result is cluttered and unsanitary living spaces. In many cases, hoarders view animals the same way they view the other inanimate objects they collect.

Lt. Borgal: We typically encounter cases where the hoarding involves more objects than animals. In these homes, there is no sanitary space.  The animals and the hoarder are literally trapped in their own filth. Animals suffer mostly from lack veterinary care, spay or neutering, poor nutrition, and no access to adequate clean water.  As a result, they are often infested with external parasites like fleas while competing for food and attention.

Animals collected range from cats and dogs to reptiles, rodents, birds, exotic animals, and even farm animals and wildlife.

Children, the elderly, and the handicapped are also subject to and unable to escape from these unsanitary and abusive conditions. The hoarder fails to see the harmful health effects that living in an ammonia-rich and flea, tick, or rodent infested environment causes to themselves and to others.

ARL Blog: What is the profile of an animal hoarder?

GP: Although 70% of the subjects who come to the attention of authorities are unmarried females, studies show that there is an equal ratio of male to female animal hoarders. In general, there are 3 main types of animal hoarders: overwhelmed caregivers, rescuer hoarders, and exploiter hoarders.

AB: Unfortunately, no animal hoarder fits neatly into any one profile. Animal hoarders come from a wide range of educational, economic, and cultural backgrounds and they typically appear to be very “put together” in public.

ARL Blog: How do find out about and respond to animal hoarding situations?

AB: Hoarding cases are often initially discovered when an outside municipality is called in for a medical emergency, an arrest, or a home maintenance issue. Because of the sensitive nature, we approach the suspects in animal hoarding situations differently than we would in another type of animal cruelty case.

We do our best to be courteous to them to ultimately build up their trust.  This approach can take a long time. While about 40% go along with the plan that we’ve outlined for them, we give the 50% of resistant subjects a lawful order, obtain a court order to remove the animals, and start the process to prosecute them on felony charges.

Unfortunately, many animal hoarding cases do break down, requiring a crisis response from a variety of social service agencies, local law enforcement, and animal welfare organizations.

ARL Blog: Is animal hoarding preventable?

GP: Just as a variety of stakeholders must cooperate to intervene, investigate, and address a hoarding problem, a variety of stakeholders must work together to monitor a hoarder’s adherence to a plan to manage the situation. As with other relapsing conditions, hoarding requires constant follow-up and support from animal welfare and a social service agencies. Sadly for some, hoarding can be a never-ending cycle.

AB: Yes! Like other forms of animal cruelty, YOU can play a critical role in getting help for the animals and people involved in a hoarding situation. Say something….

  • To your local authorities about concerns you have about animals in distress.
  • To friends, families, and colleagues to raise awareness about the serious issue of animal hoarding.
  • To Massachusetts elected officials – urge them to pay attention to this urgent community issue!

YOU CAN HELP PREVENT ANIMALS FROM FUTURE HARM!

An anonymous donor who has a strong belief in caring for and protecting animals has challenged us to triple a $5,000 donation and raise $15,000 before the end of October to support the ARL’s law enforcement team. And with just 4 days left to go, we have $2,500 left to raise to make our goal!

All donations to ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive will help pay for the on-going efforts of our law enforcement team to provide animals in need with assistance.

DONATE NOW

As a SPECIAL THANK YOU from the Onyx Hotel… Donate $250 or more by midnight TODAY, Wednesday, October 28, and you will be automatically entered-to-win a (1) night stay for you and a friend at the very pet-friendly Onyx Hotel in Boston, MA!

Click here or on the DONATE button below to make a donation to the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive.

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VERY SPECIAL THANKS to our anonymous challenge donor, Onyx Hotel, and everyone who has made a donation to support animals in need during the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive!


ARL’s Law Enforcement Team On the Scene in Westport, MA

Donations during Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive support animal protection work

Every day, the ARL’s law enforcement team is out in cities and towns, offering valuable expertise to local authorities in animal cruelty investigations and support with animals who need more extensive veterinary aid.

Though much of the team’s work is focused on preventing a situation where animals and people are at risk, they are also on the scene in a crisis…as was the case in Westport, MA a few weeks ago.

In September, Westport police department and animal control contacted the ARL for help with recovering animals from an abandoned home.

“The house was in poor condition with fleas, animal feces on the floor with large amounts of both wet and dry clutter,” according to police.

7 warning signs of animal cruelty

To prevent sad and disturbing situations such as the Westport case, we urge citizens to report concerns about animal cruelty to local authorities before it’s too late.

In total, 6 animals were discovered: 2 deceased dogs, 1 deceased lizard, and 3 cats in very poor condition.  Investigators could not find adequate food or water in the house.

The two decaying American Eskimo dogs were estimated to be about 6 and 12 years old. One was found inside of a large trash bag and had appeared to be dead for quite some time. The other dog was discovered behind a pile of garbage bags inside the bedroom closet with a choke-chain around its midsection and a partially eaten paperback book in its mouth.

Investigators also found a deceased bearded dragon in a dirty terrarium, and a litter box overflowing with feces.

The ARL brought the three cats to our Boston shelter for emergency medical care. Sadly, one of the cats was in such poor physical condition, he passed away shortly after arrival. The two remaining cats were examined and treated for fleas and other parasites. Fortunately, they did not experience any serious complications and were medically cleared for adoption!

With assistance from the ARL’s law enforcement team, Westport police charged three suspects who formerly resided at the home with 6 counts of animal cruelty last Wednesday.  The ARL will continue to support the prosecution of this case.

Your donations during the Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive are absolutely critical to ensuring the ARL’s law enforcement team is ready to answer the call for help!

The ARL receives no government funding to provide this kind of assistance to local authorities and animals in distress.

YOU CAN HELP PREVENT ANIMALS FROM FUTURE HARM!

An anonymous donor who has a strong belief in caring for and protecting animals has challenged us to triple a $5,000 donation and raise $15,000 before the end of October to support the ARL’s law enforcement team.

And with just 11 days left to go, we have $5,000 left to raise to make our goal!

All donations to ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive will help pay for the on-going efforts of our law enforcement team to provide animals in need with assistance.

DONATE NOW

As a SPECIAL THANK YOU from an anonymous donor… Donate $100 or more by Thursday, October 22, and you will automatically be entered to win Boston Celtics tickets* for you and a friend!

Click here or on the DONATE button below to make a donation to the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive.

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VERY SPECIAL THANKS to our anonymous challenge donor, our anonymous Celtic’s tickets donor, and everyone who has made a donation to support animals in need during the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive!

*(2) tickets to see the Boston Celtics vs. the Atlanta Hawks at the TD Garden on Friday, December 18, 2015. Seats are in Loge 6.


Do You Know the 7 Warning Signs of Animal Cruelty?

Learn the 7 signs of animal cruelty & DONATE to protect animals from harm

If you SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING – Report Animal Cruelty. By many estimates, 4 out of 5 cases of animal cruelty remain concealed, leaving animals to suffer in silence. While most of us recognize that punching, kicking, burning, choking, or hitting an animal with an object are acts of animal cruelty, there are also more subtle warning signs that could indicate mistreatment, neglect, or abuse.

7 warning signs of animal cruelty

Learn the 7 warning signs of animal cruelty and DONATE to ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive to help protect animals from future harm!

Learn the 7 warning signs of animal cruelty:

  1. Howling or barking for a sustained period of time, or hearing an animal cry in pain with a persistent high-pitched vocal sound
  2. Singed, matted, chronically or excessively dirty hair or fur.
  3. Wounds, unusual scars, hair loss, frequent limping often on different legs, or signs of improper nutrition
  4. Animals kept caged or tied with little room to move for long periods of time or without regular interaction with people
  5. Lack of protection from the weather or fece- or debris-strewn living areas for animals.
  6. Collars, leashes, or halters so tight they visibly dig into the animal’s face or neck.
  7. A large number of animals coming or going from a property.

DID YOU KNOW… that the ARL’s law enforcement department is often called upon to assist local and state agencies, and police and animal control officers with a variety of animal protection issues?

Although the team works closely with the state, as well as many cities and towns, the ARL receives no government funding to provide this kind of assistance to animals in need.

When you give during the ARL’s CRUELTY PREVENTION FUND DRIVE, you will help pay for the on-going efforts of our law enforcement team to provide animals suffering from abuse and neglect with the assistance that they need to recover.

An anonymous donor has challenged us to triple a $5,000 donation and raise $15,000 in October to support the ARL’s law enforcement department! The team can only do this work on behalf of animals in our communities with your support!

DONATE NOW

AS A SPECIAL THANK YOU… Be one of the first 5 people to DONATE $25 or more TODAY, October 9 and you will receive an exclusive ARL steel red water bottle!

Click here or on the green button below to make a donation to the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive.

donatenowbutton

VERY SPECIAL THANKS to our anonymous challenge donor and everyone who has made a donation to support animals in need during the ARL’s Cruelty Prevention fund drive!

Remember: Animal cruelty affects your community. Reporting suspicions to authorities is critical to prevention. Learn more at arlboston.org/take-action