Warning About Wagga Cat Hoarder

[efowler]

Hi All,

To start with this isn't a name and shame topic!! But I do want to warn anyone involved in cat rescue to beware of a prominent cat hoarder/rescuer in Wagga. Anyone local is aware of her, happy to provide name through PM.

She has been going under a few different "rescue" names or calls herself a sanctuary. She is always under investigation with RSPCA, Numerous animals removed and PTS. But for some reason she is still allowed to keep animals regardless of the substantial evidence against her. She usually likes to get pedigrees, young orphaned kittens, pregnant cats, orphaned kittens, etc. She has removed numerous litters from mums to hand feed them herself and they have subsequently died painful deaths. She is currently on numerous Facebook site and as a result can gain access to numerous free animals. I would like to stop her getting any animals in general but we can at least start with pounds and shelters. I will be emailing all soon. She does not have a 16d or charity status but poses as a rescue.

In general, everyone needs to be aware of any rescue group or person who is taking animals. I see way to many people thinking purely with their heart to get animals out of pounds but they can end up in far worse places.

Please PM if you would like more details.

Thanks

[pikespooches]

Hi All,

To start with this isn't a name and shame topic!! But I do want to warn anyone involved in cat rescue to beware of a prominent cat hoarder/rescuer in Wagga. Anyone local is aware of her, happy to provide name through PM.

She has been going under a few different "rescue" names or calls herself a sanctuary. She is always under investigation with RSPCA, Numerous animals removed and PTS. But for some reason she is still allowed to keep animals regardless of the substantial evidence against her. She usually likes to get pedigrees, young orphaned kittens, pregnant cats, orphaned kittens, etc. She has removed numerous litters from mums to hand feed them herself and they have subsequently died painful deaths. She is currently on numerous Facebook site and as a result can gain access to numerous free animals. I would like to stop her getting any animals in general but we can at least start with pounds and shelters. I will be emailing all soon. She does not have a 16d or charity status but poses as a rescue.

In general, everyone needs to be aware of any rescue group or person who is taking animals. I see way to many people thinking purely with their heart to get animals out of pounds but they can end up in far worse places.

Please PM if you would like more details.

Thanks

I know who you are talking about and she should have been dealt with years ago. I am shocked to hear she is still able to operate.

Edited August 14, 2012 by pikespooches

[mita]

When I read the research about the true-blue animal hoarder, it said one of the many signs is that they're almost impossible to stop. Whatever is done, they'll keep on finding ways to get hold of animals. You are right to try to stop the supply from the other side....cautioning people not to hand over animals. But, in this day of the Net, the world opens up with potential to supply free animals.

Weekend newspapers have ads starting off 'Free to good home....'. And animal hoarders can present as devoted animal lovers.

There was a family of hoarders in Brisbane (little dogs) and they were hauled into court on numbers of occasions....and were even banned from owning any animals. But it wasn't long before, somehow, they'd manage to get their hands on more. This time, to try to evade detection, they were keeping all the dogs up in the ceiling. This is not just persons unmindful of the law... it's pathology.

[pikespooches]

When I read the research about the true-blue animal hoarder, it said one of the many signs is that they're almost impossible to stop. Whatever is done, they'll keep on finding ways to get hold of animals. You are right to try to stop the supply from the other side....cautioning people not to hand over animals. But, in this day of the Net, the world opens up with potential to supply free animals.

Weekend newspapers have ads starting off 'Free to good home....'. And animal hoarders can present as devoted animal lovers.

There was a family of hoarders in Brisbane (little dogs) and they were hauled into court on numbers of occasions....and were even banned from owning any animals. But it wasn't long before, somehow, they'd manage to get their hands on more. This time, to try to evade detection, they were keeping all the dogs up in the ceiling. This is not just persons unmindful of the law... it's pathology.

:cry:

[mita]

Here's the research info from the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium, based at Tufts University.

Makes the point about nearly 100% recidivism.

They separate this pathological animal hoarding from animal sheltering where people may gather more than reasonable number of animals (but do their best to care for their needs). With hoarders, the person's need to collect dominates over any basic care for the animals.

One can be unwise...the other is deeply pathological with appalling consequences for the animals.

http://vet.tufts.edu/hoarding/

[cattitude]

I am new to the forum, I am also aware of this person at Wagga Wagga who is an animal hoarder. Unfortunately this person will lie about her situation to obtain animals and she goes ahead and makes them very sick, she will score the internet, places like gumtree, petrescue and facebook looking for animals to save.

You will often see her stories of sadness after yet another animal dies in her care, this is followed up with the support and sympathy of her friends, she loves this!

One thing that really sticks out in my mind is a cat that she declares had fallen or jumped of a scratching post breaking many bones in its body, the cat died. Also telling of a cat she lost in her small housing commission home, she found it 4 days later mistaking locking it in a cupboard, it died!

I dont know how many times this person has removed kittens and puppies from mothers, declaring the mother has no milk, only to bottle feed them and then posting pictures on Facebook telling how good a person she is and telling that she is their mummy.

RSPCA permits this person to take on more animals and allows this person to continue to own around 30 animals, yet RSPCA has removed around 30 or more in the past 12 months and put them to sleep!

[Just Andrea]

Can we not get the media involved somehow to expose them and get these animals the help they need.

Media loves to sink their teeth into stuff like this and a public outcry might force action from the bodies that should have done something along time ago about this.

[Steve]

Someone had better shoot me a message to tell me who this is as it rings some bells and I have a bad feeling she may be about to get a new lot.

[efowler]

Someone had better shoot me a message to tell me who this is as it rings some bells and I have a bad feeling she may be about to get a new lot.

Just PMed you.

[JaneyA]

Can we somehow maintain a quiet list of people like this? I'm sure every group knows of at least one person in their town with hoarding pathology, I can think of two more people in our area other than the subject of this thread. These people try to join rescue groups because they *believe* they are saving the animals.

One of these people presented well during a homecheck for fostering for us, but we didn't give her 2nd foster opportunity because it became apparent with the first foster that she has a problem. After we dropped her, she did some negligent (to the dogs) things while fostering for another rescue group who didn't know about her history. This person still scours the internet for FTGH cats AND dogs to "rescue" and then rehome, sometimes after breeding from them first She is always in trouble with her local council, but its a small regional town with no resources. Whenever we hear through the grapevine that she is offering to temp-care or foster for other rescue groups, we warn them, but that's only the instances when one of us hears about it in time. What to do?

[mixeduppup]

I think I know who that is ^. Does she often advertise on FB?

[JaneyA]

I think I know who that is ^. Does she often advertise on FB?

Yes, she does.

[nawnim]

I think I know who that is ^. Does she often advertise on FB?

Yes, she does.

She may also be reading this thread.

[efowler]

I think I know who that is ^. Does she often advertise on FB?

Yes, she does.

She may also be reading this thread.

Yes she probably is now...She has a serious hatred for me, with regular rants on her FB about me.

[efowler]

Can we somehow maintain a quiet list of people like this? I'm sure every group knows of at least one person in their town with hoarding pathology, I can think of two more people in our area other than the subject of this thread. These people try to join rescue groups because they *believe* they are saving the animals.

A quiet list would be very helpful. I plan to write one for a few people before I leave Wagga next year. I think they can be very difficult to do though.

[mixeduppup]

I think I know who that is ^. Does she often advertise on FB?

Yes, she does.

She may also be reading this thread.

Yes she probably is now...She has a serious hatred for me, with regular rants on her FB about me.

Yes you're so horrible, all those dogs and cats you are responsible for saving and rehoming responsibly and without hiccups! How dare you!