"The condition that these pets were in was not healthy for them," explains John Dinon, the Ingham County Animal Shelter director, "so they're in a much better place now."
Of the 92 cats and two dogs removed from the home on Teel Ave in Lansing, many had fleas and some had upper respiratory problems.
There was also feces everywhere, according to Dinon.
"Our concern now is to make sure these animals are brought o a good state of health," he explains.
Dinon says this was likely a case of animal hoarding, a situation where someone continually takes in more and more animals until they're eventually taken away, which means that the animal shelter has close to 100 more animals that they're going to have to take care of.
People with hoarding disorder, which Dinon and therapists believe this owner likely had, don't believe it's a problem to have this many pets.
"They're often in denial," describes Elizabeth Matlock, a clinical social worker and certified therapist, "or they minimize the problem, so they don't see it as an issue and they often do it to rescue the animals, they think that they're helping them and they do it because they either have an intense love for them or they feel the need to save them and rescue them or they have a strong fear that they'll be euthanized and taken away from them."
Matlock specializes in hoarding, among other things, and says it usually starts good intentioned:
"It spirals out of control because that brain chemistry isn't--it's not functioning normally, so it will just spiral out of control leading to them having the 94 animals and they don't see it as a problem."
The animal shelter cannot put any of these pets up for adoption until the investigation is complete if they get ownership of the pets.
That means it will need lots of help.
You can lend a hand by donating kitty litter, cat food, laundry detergent, or cash. Call the Ingham County Animal Control for more info.
