Hoarding leads to slow, cruel animal deaths

Re “How having a heart to help animals could end in court” March 23 article in The Sun News.

Hoarding animals is not a kindness -- it is a crime -- and local police were right to seize cats from an apartment that reportedly “reeked of feces and cat urine.”

Animal hoarders often believe they are “saving” animals when they are actually sentencing them to slow, miserable deaths from neglect. PETA has investigated numerous such cases over the years and has found cats kept in dilapidated, moldy trailers that reeked of ammonia, their living areas strewn with vomit, trash, and waste. We’ve seen suffering animals deprived of veterinary care—including some plagued with seizures, diabetes, and wounds infected down to the bone.

If you suspect that animals are being neglected or abused by their caretakers, even those who appear well intentioned, please be a “nosy neighbor” and alert authorities immediately. Your actions could mean the difference between life and death.

Sincerely,

Animal Care & Control Specialist for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Hoarding leads to slow, cruel animal deaths."