Rabbit Collectors
It's happened again. Animal control got a call. They investigate. The animal welfare and rescue groups were called. The newspaper and TV crews made their appearance and everyone heard about another animal hoarder; the mess, the smell, the unimaginable condition of the animals. People everywhere are talking about the hoarder, the animals, the mess, and many ask, "Why would someone do this? She must be crazy!"
If you're more politically correct, you'll say that this person has a mental illness, and not define her as her illness. We seldom look at a person with heart disease or cancer and define him in terms of his illness, but for the mentally ill in our communities, the best we seem to do is write off their behavior and say that they're crazy.
Yet a woman with 144 rabbits is not entirely self-created. The conditions in the larger community allow her to get to a point where her behavior is out of control and destructive. The rabbits in her "care" suffer despite her overwhelming "love" for them. She loves them so much that even the dead are kept close, not in pictures and memories, but in her freezer. She loves them so much that even neighbors and friends refer to her as the "rabbit lady." She loves them so much that she can't say no to anyone trying to get rid of an unwanted rabbit who seeks her out. She can't say no. This is one variation of the mental illness called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, it's real, and its effects can be devastating for those who suffer from it, their families, and, in the case of animal hoarders, the animals they "love."
OCD is a neurological condition characterized by biochemical imbalances and a great deal of activity in the deep structures of the brain; this activity can even be seen on SPECT images such as those shown here. This condition is not under the conscious control of the affected individual, but can be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. For some the condition is episodic, happening only once or infrequently; for others it is ongoing but may vary in degree over time. For the most unfortunate, it starts early and gets progressively worse over an entire lifetime, eventually completely incapacitating the sufferer.
Many who suffer from this illness are in denial – on one level they know there is something wrong but cannot bring themselves to face the facts – or are unaware that most would view this kind of behavior and thought patterns as abnormal – like the color blind child who can't understand why mom thinks his shirt and pants don't match. Others are aware that there is something wrong with them, but out of fear or shame try to hide their illness and suffer in isolation. The lucky few have access to and utilize the appropriate health care resources.
Animal lovers often want to see the hoarder punished as they agonize over the suffering that has been caused to the dependent animals in the collection. But many hoarders are set up to fail again, not because the consequences were too lenient, but because the consequences don't address the core of the problem – the mental illness. It is a sad comment on our communities that the mentally ill fill our criminal justice system and an alarming number of prison cells, while there are long waiting lists for mental health services and little is ever done for those who cannot, or will not, ask for help. And once the hoarder is free to collect animals again, there is a unending supply of animals to "rescue" and many who are willing to unload their responsibilities on someone who cannot refuse to "help." The cycle and the suffering start again.
To end the repeat offender pattern in animal hoarders, a consequence must include an enforced limit on the number of animals the individual can have in their care and regular inspections to make sure they stay within those limits while providing the care those animals require. There should also be inspections of their premises even if they claim that they will no longer have animals. That monitoring should follow them to any location to which they move, just as it does for sex offenders. Without monitoring, they will re-offend.
There should also be court mandated mental health treatment. The individual should be screened for illness and the treatment of that illness should be required. This should be at government expense if the individual does not have the means to provide it for him- or herself. Refusal to comply with these consequences should mean a fine and/or a prison term. A person can be mentally ill at their own expense, but when the community and animals suffer as a consequence, they no longer have the choice of maintaining that illness and must treat it, or no longer have access to animals.
Beyond having effective consequences in place, the larger community should also have a responsible plan for controlling the creation of unwanted animals that end up needing rescue. Currently there is little consequence for allowing unwanted animals to be bred. Responsible breeders will always take back an animal if the owner cannot, or will not, care for it. But not all breeders are responsible; they and pet stores that sell animals should have the same obligation to re-home any unwanted animal that they bring into our community. Anyone who places animals into homes should have a screening process in place to avoid placing animals in situations where they will not be cared for, and to avoid impulse acquisitions. Fortunately, we now have laws that make it a felony to be cruel to animals, but more is needed to prevent animal hoarding and its ongoing pattern of re-offence. A shift must occur so that animals are no longer viewed as just property – a shift in perspective from ownership to stewardship.
