Good point Ingrid, that's what it reminded me of a puppy mill.

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I keep lots fish, and have several tanks going right now, we also had a bearded dragon and a rescue snapping turtle.

Yikes a snapping turtle! How on earth do you handle those? I tried to get one out of the road that was absolutely prehistoric looking. He was enormous I told him to "shew". He hissed at me and turned slowly as I tried to walk around him and "chase" him out of the road. I left him and I never saw him squished. Guess he didn't need my help (wow sorry that was WAY off topic)

Very Carefully!
We only had him for a few months and he was really little, smaller in diameter than a bagel. I was still really careful.

Someone we know had found him in the road and taken him home. But he didn't have anywhere to keep him and it was winter so we decided to take him just until it warmed up.

So we put him in a 30 gallon tank and filtered the crap out of the water along with three times a week water changes. Fed him only frozen food or extra fish from my own tanks I knew were disease free and put him in a BIG pond as soon as it warmed up.

Yeah I hoard animals,
I've got wild turkey's, a resident deer herd, foxes that wander through, ten zillion squirrels and chipmunks, groundhogs that I can't kill (I already got all the stupid ones or the dogs did), coyotes that clean up the stray cats, assorted birds and predatory hawks and owls, yeah and porcupines, skunks, and a wayward possum now and then. Let's see, I've also got beaver, a snapping turtle that lays it's eggs on a wet part of my lawn every year, ducks and geese (the geese drive me crazy). Don't know, I've probably left some critters out, but the prize of my collection is a thriving family of lesser weasels.

Maybe I'm sick.

I hoard dust mites.

I think hoarding animals is some sort of OCD with an attachment disorder tossed in for added flavor.

Its a tricky situation, because the removal of all the animals at one time reinforces the fear and paranoia, which makes relapse more likely.

Of course, its necessary for the well-being of the animals, but from a psychological standpoint, its actually counterproductive.

It'd be advantageous if the SPCA prosecuted these charges of animal neglect/cruelty/etc and stipulated mandatory therapy and medication as part of the sentencing.

Oh I have lots and lots of those too, I think we need our ducts cleaned or something, our house gets dusty ridiculously fast!

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I think hoarding animals is some sort of OCD with an attachment disorder tossed in for added flavor.

There is a lot of debate as to whether it is OCD or another type of disorder going on right now.

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Its a tricky situation, because the removal of all the animals at one time reinforces the fear and paranoia, which makes relapse more likely.

Of course, its necessary for the well-being of the animals, but from a psychological standpoint, its actually counterproductive.

I don't know anyone who advocates the permanent removal of all animals. In my case, the individual is permitted to have three altered dogs of her choosing during her 20 year suspended sentence. Meaning at any given time she can have up to three altered dogs. She is also permitted 5 goats, 20 chickens, and three altered cats. This is the number of animals that the Court determined she can appropriately care for both physically and financially.

Removing all animals would be completely detrimental from a therapy standpoint but treatment is far more effective once down to a manageable level rather than trying to work with someone still overwhelmed by sheer number of animals.

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It'd be advantageous if the SPCA prosecuted these charges of animal neglect/cruelty/etc and stipulated mandatory therapy and medication as part of the sentencing.

In most jurisdictions it is regular law enforcement that prosecutes these matters. And I completely agree on the mental health component. It was a requirement in the plea agreement that I drafted in my case and was ordered by the Court.

Unfortunately, legislation that I assisted in trying to get passed in MT last year that would make animal hoarding a felony that required mental health treatment as a part of the sentence failed in part because dog fanciers fought it saying it was animal rights legislation.... Sometimes dog people are their own worst enemy in my book.

Totally agree that therapy is more or less useless while still actively hoarding. Kinda like going to an AA meeting while drunk.

The approach you describe sounds, to me anyway, to be the best possible balance to allow everyone to come away with the most benefit possible.

What a shame that law didn't pass.

Okay okay,
I didn't mean to flippant about what really is a serious disorder.
I don't know what my state does with cases like that, though we've had a number of them, I'll have to look it up. It's so far out of the realm of what I've ever run into. I just kinda go ugh, and put it into the same place I put the old man I knew who allowed the pigs to take over the house while the horses died.

Yeah, he was crazy. Or more properly, he was insane.