he does have a point.....

Yes he does, but it's really a stretch.
I think she looks mean.
http://cellar.org/2009/battison.jpg

And look, she's wearing fur... get her, get her... :headbag:

In a related story:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/con...91208cats.html

The lawyer, on local news, was all like "she LOVES animals. She's an animal LOVER." Including the dead ones in the garbage bags?

Definitely has a screw loose. I'm sorry, but come on.

(OH, read the comment from Big Greg M...too funny! Not unlike our running 9/11 jokes)

Finding out that she was an animal hoarder puts this in some context.

Doesn't make it better, but it becomes more understandable.

I worked with a lady who turned out to be an animal hoarder in The Northeast. It was a little weird to be watching the news at work and turn to the guy sitting next to me, "Hey, do you remember her, she was the ex-nun with the cats?"

I also had a friend who took a dog from an animal hoarder after animal control busted her. The dog, a pure bred Visla was in awful condition when he first came to her, but was one of the coolest and most loving dogs.

I doubt it would make a difference.
These people do not flaunt their cruelty, they just think they will get away with it. Or as Zen says, there is something missing in their world view that prevents them from acting in the way the rest of us would.
Yup. Pretty much the next county for me. I can't say I'm interested in vigilante action though. I'm not sure if anything would move me to that.

RE: post 33: As a humane officer I saw this sort of situation (FAR TOO) often, and yet I managed to find enough breath to argue for the defendants. Animal hoarders define themselves as animal lovers and so will not turn away the dogs and cats left by others, and often cannot afford to alter them. It's not long before they are overwhelmed, desperate, and unable to seek help lest their animals be 'condemned to death' by a shelter. Humane society folk are often accused of loving animals over humans, but it was the public that screamed for blood. Banning those people from owning animals (or more than 2, subject to unannounced inspections by H.S. officers) is a better cure than jail, especially for the elderly who are the usual hoarders. It's sad all around, really - and as terrible as it was, it was good to be able to intervene on behalf of all the living creatures.

I agree sweetwater. Thing is...a lot of people were aware of the situation. It's just too bad something couldn't be done earlier.

Though my post is without compassion, I am not, and I feel badly for the woman.

Someone wanted to know why we do not seem as outraged over human abuse as we seem over animal abuse. I think this story points to the fact that if children were living in those conditions and even an inkling of it got around the neighborhood, action would have been taken almost immediately. Cats and children...same thing? Of course not, but it's an interesting point for contention.

"She's a crazy cat lady" is too easy as a dismissive response.

Although, several years ago they took 5 or so kids and a bunch of animals out of a house in philly, they had all been sharing the same food and shitting on the floor... Apparently the neighbors called CPS a bunch of times and got no response, so they finally called the police and said it was a crack house. That worked.
Sad.

Sad, but true - at least at the time I was an officer, we required no warrant whereas CPS, cops, and other law enforcement agents did, so we had legal access when often they could not get it. Kids could be in much worse shape but the parents had a perceived 'right' to raise their kids as they saw fit, whereas animals had very limited but legally well defined rights [to food, potable water, access to shelter]. The Hobo story kills me because German shepherds are my favorite breed, and I know he would still go to his owner when called--- if he was able. Too bad mistreated dogs and kids aren't allowed one good bite, huh?

Amen, sweet.

My ex and I used to dogsit Minga, a female German Shepherd, for friends. She was one of the sweetest most loveable dogs I ever knew, and I've known some good ones. She passed away a couple years ago.

I really liked her, and due to her put GSs on the list of dog breeds I will consider if I am ever in the situation where I could have a dog (situation being a few things: I like big dogs, must have freedom to run through the woods and by the creek etc.)

Some warning next time mmm'kay?

Mother****.