Dogs get care: Psychologist says Newport case could be a matter of animal hoarding

Dogs get care: Psychologist says Newport case could be a matter of animal hoarding


(Note: Many thanks to SS for the information on these two articles.)


September 15, 2009


By Evan Bevins, ebevins@mariettatimes.com or 740-376-5447


The Marietta Times

P.O. Box 635

Marietta, Ohio 45750

740-373-2121

Fax: 740-376-5475

http://www.mariettatimes.com or http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/category.detail/nav/5046/Employee_directory.html

To submit a Letter to the Editor: letters@mariettatimes.com or http://vnr.oweb.net/vnr/add_submission.asp?categoryID=657&publicationID=84 (website form)


Fact Box


What is animal hoarding?

The following criteria are used to define animal hoarding:

More than the typical number of companion animals.

Inability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care, with this neglect often resulting in starvation, illness and death.

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.

For more information: The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium:

http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding/index.html

~~~~~

The recent case of alleged animal cruelty in Newport has many of the characteristics of animal hoarding, according to a national expert on the subject.

"Although it may seem unusual in the community, it's the kind of story we see pretty regularly" at the national level, said Dr. Randall Lockwood, senior vice president for Anti-Cruelty Field Services with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Lockwood, a psychologist based with the ASPCA in Washington, D.C., is not involved in the local situation, but discussed animal hoarding cases in general.

"Several of these cases a day come across my desk," he said. "We estimate there probably are at least 5,000 new cases of this each year in the country."

An animal hoarder is someone who accumulates more animals than they can care for while remaining oblivious to the condition of the animals and the negative impact on the quality of life for the human beings involved, Lockwood said. It is not unusual for a hoarder's house to have animal feces in the eating or sleeping areas, he said.

"It is not just kind people who get in over their heads, which is often how this is characterized," Lockwood said.

Animal hoarders may hoard other things as well, and the condition can be linked to additional psychological disorders, Lockwood said. As in the Washington County case, there can be issues for Children or Adult Protective Services if the hoarder has children or a dependent adult living with them, he said.

Local humane officer Butch Morris said hoarding cases aren't frequent in Washington County, but authorities have seen their share of them. There are a couple of situations Morris said he is watching to make sure the individuals don't take in more animals and become a problem.

"If you go over seven or eight dogs, then I'm going to be looking hard," he said.

However, Morris noted there is no law in Ohio limiting the number of animals an individual can own. His office's concern is that the animals are properly cared for and licensed.

Lockwood said hoarders usually cannot be dealt with just by taking the animals away.

"Virtually all of them will begin again without close supervision," he said.

Lockwood said he does not necessarily advocate jail for hoarders but thinks probation conditions prohibiting them from owning more animals should be in place.


Copyright 2009, The Marietta Times.


http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/515729.html?nav=5002


Related reading:


Dogs get care: Newport man accused of animal cruelty - Humane Society helps animals found in squalor


September 15, 2009


By Evan Bevins, ebevins@mariettatimes.com or 740-376-5447


The Marietta Times

P.O. Box 635

Marietta, Ohio 45750

740-373-2121

Fax: 740-376-5475

http://www.mariettatimes.com or http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/category.detail/nav/5046/Employee_directory.html

To submit a Letter to the Editor: letters@mariettatimes.com or http://vnr.oweb.net/vnr/add_submission.asp?categoryID=657&publicationID=84 (website form)


Five charges of animal cruelty have been filed against a Newport man accused of keeping more than 50 animals -- and his mother -- in filthy, unsanitary conditions.

Washington County Dog Warden Greg Sturm said five second-degree misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals were filed in Marietta Municipal Court Monday against Steven Sharp, 52, of 1815 Long Run Road, Newport. More charges are possible, Sturm said.

A week ago, Sturm, sheriff's deputies and humane officers found Sharp's 80-year-old mother, Dorothy Sharp, living in the Long Run Road house, where the floors and other surfaces were covered with nearly an inch of cat feces and urine. Lightheaded and disoriented, Dorothy Sharp was hospitalized and placed in the custody of Adult Protective Services.

More than a dozen cats were found in the house, and numerous others were located in a trailer on the property. Twenty-two dogs were taken from the property and placed in the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley's shelter.

Officials said the cats were euthanized because they had leukemia, which is contagious among felines. Other cats, that were not closed up, are still roaming the property, said Butch Morris, humane officer.

"There's probably still another 30 cats out there," he said.

Two more dogs that had been running loose were brought to the shelter by Sharp's brother, Craig, who owns the property. At least three more dogs there have not been caught yet, Morris said.

Most of the dogs taken by the Humane Society, however, were tied up, with no food or water available, authorities said.

Steven Sharp was previously charged with failure to care for an impaired individual, a misdemeanor.

There are no plans to charge Craig Sharp, Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said Monday, because his brother lived at the residence at least part of the time and was the one responsible for Dorothy Sharp.

Craig Sharp has been cooperating with humane officers, Morris said.

Shelter manager Steve Herron said that when the dogs first arrived, they had to be housed in a garage due to crowded conditions at the shelter. However, a rescue operation took 22 other dogs from the shelter recently, and most of the dogs from the Newport property had been moved into regular cages in the shelter as of Monday.

"They've all been able to get cleaned up and taken care of," Herron said.

Most of the animals have overcome their initial fear and are warming up to shelter workers and volunteers, Herron said, but some are still "skittish."

People in the community donated puppy food, laundry detergent, bleach and blankets after the shelter took the dogs in, Herron said. The shelter will always accept more dog food and detergent (not to mention cat food and litter), he said.

"We appreciate what the public is doing for us," Herron said.

There are other ways people can get involved, the shelter manager said.

"I always look for volunteers in the afternoon to come and walk dogs," he said.


Copyright 2009, The Marietta Times.


http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/515728.html?nav=5002