How do you differentiate between a rescue and a hoarder.

[ticklechin]

I have watched a few episodes of Animal Hoarding on Animal Planet-reason being a rat rescue here in the Bay Area had to take over a 1000 rats from a home of a hoarder on the show. Watching the shows it seems that these people think they are "rescues" and not "hoarders" so what is your take on how to know if you are dealing with a rescue or a hoarder, especially when its not in person but on a forum.

 

[Claire D]

Oooh good question, Dawn. Kind of ties in nicely with a couple of other threads we've had relatively recently ........

Getting numbers of chins is a short space of time

When is a rescue not a rescue

Some people might want to look back through those & ponder their (previous) answers before posting here

 

[tati121]

Whether it be animals or salt & pepper shakers, a hoarder is someone who continues to take on more and more of said item/being whether they're capable of doing so or not. Hoarding is classified as such because it interferes with the person's normal life. Granted, running a true and tried rescue is obviously going to alter the rescuer's life but when it gets to the point where the creatures being taken in aren't being placed in a situation that would reflect them being rescued then it starts to go from rescue to hoarding.

Another very important point is that a responsible rescue knows their limit. They won't take on more than they can handle (unless in dire life and death situations).

At one time or another we've all wanted to change the world but when you're responsible for the lives of several intelligent sentient beings then one has to put the needs of others in front of the wants of yourself.

 

[starleomach]

Rescues are capable of caring for each animal brought in properly and has a goal to rehome them if and when possible. Horders do not know their limits, cannot proprly care for the animals and tend to keep them while aquiring more also rescues know when it is a rescue situation where an animal really is in need versus "pet store/CL rescuing" which is really a purchase unless the animal is in dire need

 

[GorillaJTA]

quite simply for me
rescue- takes in animals to a responsible capacity and works at rehoming them.

hoarding- may have good intentions, but cannot emotionally release the animals to new homes and does not have the capacity to reject more animals- to their own and the animal's detriment.

 

[Brittany]

Rescues are the whole package- take in needy animals, give them COMPLETE care/ rehabilitation/ vet trips etc.Once the animal is doing well the rescue works to re-home them. If an animal isn't fit for re-homing (permanent illness or disability) then the rescue is no longer that animal's rescue, but rather, becomes their permanent sanctuary.

In case you're wondering, the difference in terminology between a rescue and a sanctuary was explained to me on a visit to the Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Wheaton, IL. http://www.dupageforest.com/page.aspx?id=230

A Hoarder collects something (animal, whatever) to an obsessive amount. They cover up their addiction/compulsion with any name; rescue, breeder, pet owner, etc.

 

[mishellyshel]

i watch those shows also. usually to make myself feel better about my housekeeping!

hoarding is a disease, just as obsessive compulsive or OCD is. it is a mental illness.

if you can not have a clean safe environment in which you can properly take care of your animals and then you continue to take on more and more than you are hoarding.
with the case of pets only, hoarders feel that they are "saving" the animals.

personally i think there is a difference in hoarding and getting too many pets at one time. the difference is in how you care for them.

 

[Laurie]

If you're watching a Hoarding show then you will find or you should find that Hoarders do not know they are hoarding as it is a mental illness. This applies to any hoarder, of items or animals. A rescue to me is a place or person that has ever intention of rehoming the animals they have taken in to care for. Right now Crysta comes to mind. She spends time, a great deal of effort and money truly rescuing chinchillas and then finding a permanent home for them. To me a rescue should not be a permanent home for an animal. Just as there is a difference between slobbery and messy housekeeper as a hoarder; there is a difference between someone who truly rescues an animal and someone who wants an animal for free so takes in and labels themselves a rescue in order to obtain an animal they want.

 

[3CsMommy]

If most of the animals that go in never leave (still living), it's not a rescue. The goal of rescue is getting an animal out of a bad situation and into a better one, and ultimately a home for the rest of their lives.

 

[ticklechin]

Do you consider buying chinchillas off CL rescue, even the ones with dirty cages? CAchins is a real rescue, they do not pay money for chinchillas.

 

[Tennyson]

When we take in a chin as a "rescue", we don't pay for it, we don't name it, and (once it is healthy of course) start searching immediately for a new "pet" home for the chin. And we try to remain a last resort for people getting rid of their chins. A quality pet home should always be the goal, so we encourage people to only come to us once they have exhausted their own contacts and resources trying to find a good home. This saves the chin a lot of "moving stress" and helps keep our numbers down.

The hard part is that the intent is often exactly the same...hoarders think that they are saving their chins from worse environments, same as rescues. Problem is that usually they are kidding themselves.

I differentiate between rescues and hoarders in what I see as the most important factor: How much money do you have set aside at any given time to care for your chins? If a "rescue" doesn't have a good $1000 set aside for every 1 or 2 chins they take in, they aren't capable of "rescuing". So a rescue taking in say 5 chins a month, should have $5000 in emergency funds set aside at all times. Others might say that's not necessary, but it's just the standard I hold myself too

I probably wrote too much lol, but I just dealt with a hoarding situation not long ago, so it is still fresh in my mind

 

[starleomach]

Paying for a chinchilla is just that paying. And as nasty as cages can get and sad as the situation is a dirty chinchilla, or a dirty cage does not always mean a rescue. I have seen many chinchillas in desperate need for a dust bath because owners used the sand or something along those lines.

 

[Ash]

Do you consider buying chinchillas off CL rescue, even the ones with dirty cages? CAchins is a real rescue, they do not pay money for chinchillas.

I have heard of people paying for animals when absolutely necessary for the animal's well-being and the owner can't be talked out of just surrendering. However, these are cases where the animal needs serious medical attention or are in severe neglect and the owner refuses to be talked down to.

However, just buying up chins that may not be in the best situation, but are still in liveable situations are not rescues. There are tons of chinchillas on Craigslist in my area, m/f pairs and trios that I would LOVE to take in, but I don't have the resources to take in more chinchillas. I have room for the new chin I'm bringing home in April, and my small set up allows for rearranging of cages if need-be, setting up new cages if need-be, etc.

A hoarder is someone who doesn't know when to stop and pushes themselves well beyond their means of capacity. They cannot provide proper care and, in many cases of animal hoarding, even the basic necessities for their animals. Their animals don't get the proper health care that is needed, and often times breed continuously and out of control.

 

[Chintastic!]

I have only done a few of what I consider rescues. When I rehome them I charge 50 dollars for one or 75 for a bonded pair, which includes supplies for about 3 months or so. The only time I have ever paid for a chin is with the ones that were found in the tote. They were living in a clothes hamper then I picked them up. They were matted and dirty as well. As many of you know the female was put down after I found out she had malo and a heart murmer.

The other three are still with me. I gave them names, but still have every intent of rehoming them. I seem to be having alot of trouble doing so, not because Im overly attached, but because the people intrested just dont make the cut. It shocks me how many people just want a chin to say they have one. People willing to trade their other animals, and possessions. I was confiding in my mom two days ago about how I feel like I cant find them a home. She said "you just so picky!" guess she was right

I also want to do a home visit to see what cage they have picked out and the enviroment they are going to be in. Ive been told to shove it by several people after telling them I would like to see their home. One man even told me that since hed been inspected by the state to adopt children that should be good enough for me.

I only allow myslef to have two cages devoted to rescue, whether they are full with 2 or 5(they can be divided in half).

i think the main thing that determines a rescue from a hoarder is the care the animals recieve. There is a difference with a rescue who has 20 animals and a hoarder who has 20 animals. When the animals are well cared for, in clean cages, recieving everyting they need- thats rescue. When they dont get their cages cleaned on time, or get fed the right amount, or get dust baths when they should thats a hoarder. A hoarder doesnt know when to say no- or give the person someone else to turn to.