Animal hoarding involves keeping large numbers of animals in conditions causing significant welfare harm, often by individuals who genuinely believe they are helping animals, requiring specialized intervention combining welfare enforcement and mental health support.
Animals in hoarding situations suffer welfare harms from malnutrition, disease, inadequate veterinary care, and poor hygiene that can be severe and long-standing. The welfare impact is complicated by the hoarder's genuine belief they are helping animals, which creates resistance to intervention. Standard enforcement approaches without mental health support have high recidivism rates. The welfare of animals rescued from hoarding requires sustained rehabilitation for behavioral problems resulting from their early experiences. A coordinated approach involving welfare enforcement, mental health support, and community resources is most effective.