Hoarders: when is enough, enough?

I sat down to a few depressing episodes of an animal hoarding program with my husband the other night. I was ready to spit blood, I was so frustrated.
I do have a great deal of sympathy for these people. Their stories are heart breaking; divorce, childhood heartbreak, lost relationships of many kinds. I appreciate the delicate nature of their condition and the the efforts made to gently encourage them to free these unfortunate casualties of their disordered lives. But it gets to a point when I want to go over and tell them ENOUGH! I understand, I have compassion for you, but that's it, this is done and these animals will no longer be in your charge. It is not your decision anymore, you are not capable of making the right choice so it has been made for you.

It really bothers me and I know the implications of taking away peoples legal rights, that's why I reserve this opinion for animal hoarders as opposed to item and junk hoarders. Anyone else frustrated by this ?

It's a disorder. They need mental help. They don't think the same as you so it's more about us trying to understand what drives them to hoard. Don't try to understand it, try to get them help.

For me, it's all about the well-being of the animals.

I've known people with lots of animals who kept them all well cared for. In one case, one of my friends turned her home (an out-building next to her house, anyhow) into a quasi-shelter and nursed abandoned pets back to health before finding homes for them... but all of the animals got proper food, medical care, exercise and interaction. It took a huge amount of her time and money, but she was able to pull it off.

OTOH, I'm sure that there are people who wouldn't be able to provide a proper life for even one animal.

That's the thing, they are not capable of proper care and although they take the animals in with good intentions, they are mentally damaged people that simply can not do a proper job nor recognize that they are not doing a proper job. I get frustrated when the abuse is allowed to continue. I think therapy is a given, but resolve the abuse issue simultaneously and then continue therapy.

How many is hording?

I've had as many as ten cats, all loved and cared for. I haven't had a pet for several years. (though we are looking to get fish for the baby...he loves watching fish!)

My mother has two house-cats, but she also feeds the local strays and roamers. Is she a hoarder?

Mind you,I'm not denying that animal hording is an illness, but how does one decide who is and isn't sick vs. over their head vs. an owner with a lot of pets?

wa:do