ANIMAL HOARDING PROJECT - WEBSITE LAUNCHED
As any veterinarian or professional involved in animal welfare knows, animal hoarding is a pervasive and common problem that confronts every community in the country. Until now, animal hoarding has largely been regarded as a law enforcement issue. Seizing animals by force creates a huge burden for local shelters and animal control agencies, and without help, the recidivism rate for animal hoarders is near 100 percent.
CONFESSIONS: ANIMAL HOARDING is a new series on Animal Planet that takes an entirely new approach to the problem. Each episode delves into specific hoarding cases, trying to unlock the psychological motivations that underlie this behavior and find new and workable solutions before the problem gets out of control. The series ventures into the homes of animal hoarders to see the world from their point of view. A team of psychologists, veterinarians and animal welfare organizations work with concerned friends and family members to craft a real viable solution for the individuals and their pets.
Although animal hoarding is not yet formally recognized as a distinct psychological disorder in the psychiatric diagnostic manual, the mental health community is trying to better understand and approach animal hoarding through a human lens. Unless this problem is addressed and understood at a human level, it will never be solved. Animal Planet's series is providing an opportunity for experts in psychology, veterinary health and leading organizations to address and unlock the problem on a national level.
