Animal hoarding causes severe welfare harms for hundreds of thousands of animals annually while presenting complex challenges for welfare investigators and health authorities.
Animals in hoarding situations experience systematic deprivation of basic needs as care capacity is overwhelmed. Malnutrition, untreated disease, psychological distress from crowding and competition, and high mortality rates are characteristic. The inability of hoarders to recognize the suffering they are causing, combined with emotional attachment to animals, creates conditions where suffering persists for years. Intervention must address both the animals' immediate welfare needs and the hoarder's mental health to prevent recurrence.