they were arrested after the July 10 discovery of human remains in a plastic tub in a closet of their Jefferson Court town house. An officer, nearby on an unrelated case, noticed the Haas house's animal odor and called city inspectors and animal control, said Dover Police Department spokesman Capt. Lester Boney.
The Haases had 133 cats and three dogs, Boney said, and "10 to 20" cat corpses. Their veterinarian found only the dogs and three cats healthy enough not to be put to death, he said...
Animal hoarding may stem from issues such as childhood trauma, neglect, abuse, complicated grief, emotional neediness or need for control, experts say.
Or hoarders may be seeking an identity as saviors of animals in distress: "We need self-esteem and I do believe there is a sense of self-esteem that is derived from being a caregiver to animals, although paradoxically ... they become so overextended they are neglecting the care of their animals."...
Experts say hoarding mimics pet rescue -- but isn't the same. "Animal hoarding is not about animal sheltering, rescue or sanctuary, and should not be confused with these legitimate efforts to help animals," the hoarding consortium says. Hoarding aims at "satisfying a human need to accumulate animals and control them, and this need supersedes the needs of the animals involved."
Most hoarders aren't even charged, but more jurisdictions -- like Delaware -- are banning the keeping of pets in cruelty cases. It's a start, Patronek said, but it's "very naive to say 'Just don't own animals.' ... They just move."...
Delaware is progressive, Patronek said, but not ordering detoxification-like treatment, counseling and support lets causes go unchecked.
"Recidivism is basically 100 percent," he said. Some hoarders go so far as to buy pets on the way home from court or they might place bogus ads as rescue groups for disabled pets.
Animal hoarders often neglect their children, elders in their care and themselves, experts say. Addictions and hoarding junk are common among them.
The Haases are hoarders, "no doubt," Patronek said.
