Hoarders

Update: Dachshund Puppies Thriving in New Homes

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 - 9:30am

Late last month, we shared the story of more than 50 Dachshunds, including adults and puppies, we recovered from a hoarding situation in New York City. We checked in with several of the dogs’ adopters to see how the pups are doing so far, and their replies resulted in a cuteness overload!

Banjo (formerly known as Ralf)

Adopter: Amalia R.

“Banjo was listed as extremely shy when I received his behavioral report. Upon bringing him into our home with Rhubarb [his dog brother] as a guide, he is a total social butterfly! Rhubarb and Banjo play wonderfully together, and not only has he learned from my teachings, he is learning from Rhubarb! They love to take naps together and drinking water at the same time— it’s so sweet to watch them scurry around together. We love Banjo very much and are so happy to have such a beautiful little puppy added to our family!”


Murphy (formerly known as Monika)

Adopter: Casey K.

“After meeting with one of the behaviorists, we were introduced to Murphy—she is playful, sweet, curious, and just a really great pup overall. It was love at first sight, and each day we are all falling more in love with her. She is a very happy, playful puppy. Many friends have come to say hello to her, and each day she become more bold and curious with us and her surroundings. She is very relaxed and often will fall asleep on her back and loves having her tummy rubbed. We are deeply grateful that she has come into our lives.”


Emily (formerly known as Emilie)

Adopter: Nicole D.

“My husband Tom, our 2.5-year-old Dachshund, Eli, and I walked to the ASPCA in hopes of adopting a little brother or sister for Eli. We picked out Emily, as she reminded us a lot of Eli, with the spots on her head and her fuzzy ears.  When the two dogs met, it was clear that this was the start of what would become a long and beautiful friendship. Although Emily is still quite shy around my husband and me, she is learning from Eli, and I know with time, she will come out of her shell and realize all the love that surrounds her.”


Marcel (formerly known as Dieter)

Adopter: Melanie S.

“After losing my childhood pet two years ago—a Lab/Basset mix—I started to really miss the warmth and energy of a dog in my life. I love Dachshunds and was spending all of my free time searching rescue websites. Finally, I heard about the puppies at the ASPCA and ran over. Marcel is adjusting at lightning speed! His first night he stayed in the back of his crate, and shook for several minutes in each new setting. Now, as much as he loves his crate, he comes out to find me to play fetch!”


Roxy (formerly known as Katja)

Adopter: Nicole A.

“My husband and I have been looking for a dog for a little while now, and when we came across Roxy’s picture online we instantly fell in love. At that moment, we rushed down to the ASPCA and set up a meet and greet with Roxy. She was everything we hoped for and more. Roxy has a great personality, loves to play, and is already our best friend. She is definitely at home and is learning more and more each day. We are so excited to have her be a part of our family.”


Hailey (formerly known as Anja)

Adopter: Brittney H.

“I saw Hailey’s picture on Petfinder and fell in love instantly! She is doing excellent! Hailey has an older dog sister named Lola, and they love to play and snuggle together. She does have major separation anxiety, which is completely understandable, but we are working on breaking her out of that. Otherwise, she is doing awesome! I love her!”


Coco (formerly known as Silke)

Adopter:  Maria G.

“I was looking at the ASPCA website on a Friday evening, saw all the puppies and dogs for adoption, and decided to come down to the Adoption Center that Saturday morning.  I came to the ASPCA with my daughter, and we both decided that Silke was the one for us. She has her own room, and she has brought joy and happiness to us both! Silke, whom we have renamed Coco Chanel, has adjusted very well. She's my little superstar. We love and adore her.”


For many more photos of these adorable puppies in their new homes, please visit our special Facebook gallery.

Tags: 
Adoption
Hoarders
NYC

423 Days in Our Shelter—Help Us Find this Senior Kitty a Home!

Monday, July 16, 2012 - 10:15am
ASPCA Adoptable Cat

Noni has been under our care for 423 days—and that is just way too long. She's receiving lots of attention and socialization with us, but even the ASPCA Adoption Center is no substitute for a loving family.

Noni is one of the prettiest, softest tuxie ladies we've ever seen, and she loves interacting with people, whether she's chasing a toy or receiving a few snuggles. But Noni's life has been anything but easy. She once lived in a hoarding home, and she came to us emaciated; we soon discovered that Noni had an untreated hyperthyroid condition. Our dedicated veterinary staff got Noni back on track, and now she is healthy and flourishing.

But Noni's adopter will need to keep her healthy, and that means not only twice-daily medicine for hyperthyroidism but special food for her sensitive tummy.

We can't wait to see Noni's story of triumph and recovery close with a happy ending, and neither can she. If you've got room in your heart for a special lady like Noni, please consider meeting her today at the ASPCA Adoption Center in NYC. Noni enjoys other cats and wouldn't mind a home with a resident feline friend. If you have any questions, please call the Adoption Desk at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4900.

If you can't bring her home, please share her on Facebook and Twitter. Online fans: You've helped us find homes for animals before—let's do it again for Noni! 

Tags: 
adoptable cat
Adoption
Cats
Hoarders

How Can I Tell if Someone Is a Hoarder?

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 - 1:45pm
Cat Hoarding

To be honest, it's not always easy. While the elderly tend to be more at risk, animal hoarders range in age and can be men or women. The one commonality between all hoarders is their failure to grasp the severity of their situation.

Here are several signs that may indicate someone is an animal hoarder:

  • The individual has numerous animals and may not know the total number of animals in his or her care.
  • The person’s home is vastly unkempt with dirty windows, broken furniture, holes in wall and floor or extreme clutter.
  • There is a strong smell of ammonia, and floors may be covered with dried feces, urine, vomit, etc.
  • Animals are emaciated, lethargic and not well socialized.
  • Fleas and vermin are present.
  • The individual is isolated from his or her community and appears to be neglecting him or herself.
  • The individual insists all of his or her animals are happy and healthy—even when there are clear signs of distress and illness.


If you think you know an animal hoarder, please pick up the phone and call your local police department, animal shelter or veterinarian to ask for help. A phone call may be the first step to get a suspected hoarder and the animals the help they need.

For more information about animal hoarding, see our Hoarding FAQ.

Tags: 
Animal Cruelty
Hoarders

Update from Howard County—Critical Care Continues for Rescued Horses

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - 11:15am

On September 24, at the request of Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Howard County, MD, members of the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team were dispatched to assist in the care of eight critically ill and neglected horses originally seized from an equine rescue group in West Virginia. The horses, all Thoroughbreds, are retired from the racing industry.

Kristen Limbert, Manager of Field Operations for the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team, is currently on scene with other ASPCA team members skilled in horse handling. The following is from a series of field reports from Kristen on the ground in Howard County.

Field Report 3

The horses have continued to improve over the last two days. Disco, Casanova, Aaron, Buttercup and Felicity even had the chance to go outside. Feeding and medications are still needed around the clock—but because overall health is improving, we have moved to every three hours instead of every two. That's a big step forward for this group—I'm sure more improvements will come over the next few days.

Unfortunately, Zodiac and Yogi are still too frail to do much. Zodiac is still in his sling, and will be for a while longer. They do however, have good appetites! That said, Yogi is very picky—We still water down their food, but if there is one drop too much, she will not eat. Zodiac, on the other hand, will take all the water you put in his food—he makes the funniest slurpy sound as he sucks it up.

It truly amazes me, that after working in the horse racing industry for so many years these animals could be treated with such disregard. Yet, despite all of their hardships, they continue to respond positively to love and affection. They are such trusting, beautiful creatures—and truly deserve much better than the cards they've been dealt. The staff and volunteers here at Days End are so dedicated to the horses well-being, it is a wonderful place for them to get a second chance at a new life.

Stay tuned to the ASPCA Blog for more exclusive field reports from the scene in Howard County. To learn more about the ASPCA's efforts to end horse cruelty, visit our Equine Section.

Tags: 
Animal Cruelty
Equines
Hoarders