With its new animal hoarding assessment, the German Animal Welfare Federation has uncovered an alarming record for the fourth time in a row: 147 cases of animal hoarding involving 8,911 animals were reported to the association last year. Compared to 2023, the number rose by over 2,000 animals. Once again, most cases occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia, followed by Bavaria. Animal shelters, which are already under severe strain, are struggling to care for the mostly completely neglected animals and are reaching their physical, financial, and psychological limits.
"The animals affected are usually in poor condition. Neglected, malnourished, and sick, they often have to live in cramped conditions, surrounded by their own urine and feces. They reproduce uncontrollably among themselves, so that the population continues to grow," explains Nina Brakebusch, expert on animal hoarding at the German Animal Welfare Federation. Animal hoarding, the pathological collection of animals, is considered a mental illness: those affected often do not realize how much they are harming themselves and the animals – and in some cases even continue to take in more animals. “Animal hoarding is a growing and serious animal welfare problem,” says Brakebusch. Since the German Animal Welfare Federation began collecting cases in 2012, nearly 51,000 animals had been affected by animal hoarding by 2024.
CATS ARE PARTICULARLY OFTEN HOARDED
With 1,872 individuals affected, cats were the animals most commonly hoarded in known cases in 2024, followed by dogs with 1,555 individuals. Although small pets such as rabbits and mice were victims of animal hoarding in fewer cases, they represent the largest animal group with 3,749 affected individuals. This is due to the fact that small pets are kept less frequently by hoarders, but in higher numbers – partly because they reproduce particularly quickly.
ANIMAL SHELTERS ARE REACHING THEIR LIMITS
The effects of animal hoarding cases are not only fatal for the animals affected, but also for animal shelters, which are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the influx of animals confiscated by the authorities. Due to their lack of socialization, many of the hoarded animals are difficult to rehome and occupy space in already overcrowded shelters for many years. To relieve the burden on animal shelters, the German Animal Welfare Federation, as the umbrella organization for animal shelters and animal welfare associations, is calling for cost-covering financing, as the care of animals confiscated by the authorities is a municipal duty.
In order to prevent cases of animal hoarding, animal welfare activists believe that regulatory measures are necessary, which must be addressed at the political level. "We need a pet protection ordinance that clearly regulates animal breeding and keeping, a mandatory certificate of competence before purchasing an animal, and a central register for animal owners who have attracted attention. In addition, animal hoarding must finally be recognized as a clinical condition in order to offer better treatment options to those affected," demands Brakebusch. Otherwise, there is a high risk that hoarders will start collecting animals again after their animals have been taken away by the authorities.
Note to editors
The Animal Hoarding Report 2024 is available as a PDF here: www.tierschutzbund.de/fileadmin/Seiten/tierschutzbund.de/Downloads/Berichte/Auswertung_Animal_Hoarding_2024.pdf. Further information can be found at www.tierschutzbund.de/animal-hoarding.
