Report: The mind of an animal hoarder

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ohio (WDTN) - The sickening snapshots of the conditions inside the homes of animal hoarders are pictures of a problem, but seeing them is only half the story.

"Five minutes in one of these houses and I guarantee you most folks will tell you I know what cruelty smells like," says Mark Kumpf with Montgomery County's Animal Resource Center.

For this story, you'll have to use your imagination when it comes to the stench of animal hoarding, but its impact can be realized by reading about the heartbreaking tale of animals like Ozzy, a dog thrown in with 80 others and given little chance to survive.

This story is a glimpse inside the world of animal hoarding as seen by four people whose lives have been impacted by it.

"Sometimes it's scary, sometimes it's dangerous, and sometimes for animals and people it can be fatal," Kumpf says.

THE CATCHER

Mark Kumpf knows the danger of animal hoarding all too well. He was nearly killed by it.

"I'd passed out in my vehicle after clearing the call and gone into respiratory failure," Kumpf says. "I had a light bulb moment and realized I might have died."

That brush with death happened back in the days before animal officials realized the danger of breathing the air from inside hoarders' homes.

Since then Kumpf has seen many more cases of animal hoarding, but most share a common theme.

"Folks say they fell in love with the animals and they can't bare to see them suffer and the reality is they couldn't see the suffering they were causing," Kumpf says.

Mark says animal hoarding has always gone on, but now it's getting more attention.

He tells 2 NEWS his office deals with one to two major cases a year.

"Many of these individuals are repeat offenders and they've done it before, they'll do it again," Kumpf says.

THE CLIENT

Connie James will tell you she doesn't belong in this story.

"I want people out there to know I'm not a hoarder and I sure wouldn't abuse my animals for any reason," James says. "They were all dear to me and I miss them all."

James is facing animal cruelty charges after officials removed 131 cats and dogs in August from the Circle of Love Animal Shelter she was running out of her Huber Heights home.

Those at the animal resource center say 17 had to be put down and many others had to be treated for various diseases, but ask her about the conditions at her home and she'll tell you they were fine.

"I don't think it was bad," James says. "None of our animals were underweight. All our animals were healthy and very happy."

Even with all that's happened, James says she wouldn't rule out starting another shelter.

"If I move to another county I would love to help the animals again," James says.

THE CLINICIAN

Jeffery Allen is trying to explain what many just can't understand.

"There's almost a delusional quality this animal is best taken care of by me even when in the face of it there's counter evidence all over the place," Allen says.

Allen is a psychology professor at Wright State who's looked into both object and animal hoarding and just what leads someone to do them.

He says sometimes it stems from a traumatic event during childhood and may even run in families.

According to Allen, it can really show up as people age and their brain function declines.

"The individual is no longer able to make a good decision about what is needed in the future and what isn't," Allen says.

Research is on-going, but so far a cure seems out of the question.

"This continues to be one of the most resistant to treatment sub-diagnoses we have," Allen says.

THE CLEANER

Janice Maynard has seen what hoarding can do to a home.

"You go in with lots of gusto and lots of times pretty much a big shovel," Maynard says.

Janice works for Bio-Trauma 911, which specializes in cleaning up messes, including the ones made by animal hoarders.

"You walk in and it's kind of shocking initially and it's kind of sad because these people don't how they got from point A to point B," Maynard says.

For Janice, it's less about scrubbing stains than it is about sprucing up spirits.

"You take the outlook you're going to give them a fresh start and take it from there," Maynard says.

They're four people with four different stories of hoarding and its impact, but there's somebody we haven't heard from yet.

THE CANINE

Ozzy survived his time with an animal hoarder and was adopted by Maynard a little more than a year ago.

"Still a little hesitant about strangers but he's a great family dog," Maynard says.

Among all the pictures of how animal hoarding impacts our community, the one of Ozzy and his new family stands out.

"We love him," Maynard says.