During 2013, I became personally involved in an animal hoarding situation when 30-40 cats, unneutered and unspayed, many pregnant or in need of veterinary care, were abandoned on our farm property.  This situation was created by a man who is a habitual hoarder, known to the provincial SPCA.  The SPCA were involved with this case before the cats were abandoned, but didn't have the facilities nor the funds nor the staff to seize and treat these animals, and to prosecute the hoarder in order to prevent him from creating this situation again.

With the help of volunteers from several animal rescue organizations, we have been providing food and veterinary care to these cats, gradually spaying and neutering them, and attempting to find foster or permanent homes.  Unfortunately, there is an epidemic of abandoned and unwanted cats in shelters and a deficiency of appropriate homes so most of these cats have been released back into the colony after sterilization.

According to their web site, 25 cases of animal hoarding were investigated by the NSSPCA in 2012.

"The most disturbing trend in Nova Scotia is hoarding.  Hoarding is something that the Society struggles to deal with because of the lack of resources and infrastructure needed to address the complexity of these cases that involve both human and animal victims." (NSSPCA web site)

Animal hoarding is the cause of many severe health risks that threaten the hoarded animals due to neglect, the individuals living in hoarding residences because of health risk, and the surrounding neighborhood, due to disease

The American SPCA defines "companion animal hoarding" as:
       1) Having more than the typical number of companion animals
      2) Failing to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and veterinary care, with this neglect often resulting in illness and death from starvation, spread of infectious disease, and untreated injury or medical condition
      3)Denial of the inability to provide this minimum care and the impact of that failure on the animals, the household, and human occupants of the dwelling
      4) Persistence, despite this failure, in accumulating and controlling animals

Animal hoarders usually have more animals than they can manage resulting in malnutrition, untreated health issues, inbreeding, and unhealthy living space.  Hoarders justify their behavior with the view that the animals are surrogate children and that no one else can care for them.  As well, they harbor a fear that if they seek help the animals will be euthanized.

Nova Scotia's Protection of Animals Act describes proper care for companion animals; however, the Act does not prohibit the kind of long term, hidden, suffering that hoarded animals often suffer.   I know from my experience that the SPCA don't have the ability to investigate cases of animal hoarding, or to take any appropriate action.  A legal definition of "companion animal hoarding" in the Act would give the NSSPCA the ability to investigate complaints of animal hoarding and the means to deal with these cases in a manner that helps the animals and the hoarder.

I am confident that the majority of Nova Scotians want all companion animals to be protected under the Act.  So I am asking you to sign this petition.