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And I thought Some of YOU Had a Lot of Animals!!!

greydaze

Warren Scout
Well, as some of you know, my 2 y/o hamster Slinky has a tumor on his side. After discussing with a vet, I've decided to let him finish out his life as-is, since he's happy still and not in any apparent pain. While looking on the web for approximate prices for hamster euthanasia (in case Slinky does start exhibiting signs of pain), I came across this on a webside....

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/5658/WI/US/

Bold/Italics mine.

Hoarding - 499 animals
Royalton, WI (US)


Date: Oct 6, 2005
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged Abusers:

Clifford H. Niemuth
Brian C. Niemuth
Jennifer E. Niemuth
Duane C. Niemuth
Sandra J. Niemuth

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available


Case ID: 5658

Classification: Hoarding

Animal: rodent/small mammal (pet), rabbit (pet), dog (non pit-bull), chicken, cat, bird (wildlife)


Following up on a complaint, the Waupaca sheriff's department searched a house along Highway 54 in the town of Royalton. They described what they found as "beyond belief."

Authorities say they found 115 guinea pigs in the house along with 50 dogs, 21 cats, 29 goats, 35 rabbits, 92 hamsters and 86 chickens. There were too many animals to get proper care and food, said a state veterinarian who advised the animals should be taken away.

"This is abuse, neglect, failure to provide proper food and shelter," humane officer Jennifer Furman said.

Some of the animals roamed freely on the property. Deputies and a hazardous materials team found more inside the house and behind buildings. They spent Oct 6 removing the animals from the property.

The animals' owner told local news that he does feed and care for every animal. "I put fresh bedding in for the guinea pigs and hamsters, and feed them," Cliff Niemuth countered.

Niemuth said he has a manger and water troughs for the sheep, goats, and dogs in the back of the building. "Like I say, if I can't take care of them I wouldn't keep them."

But the humane officer said she found some dead animals on the property, and inside the house was worse. "It's not fit for the animals much less the humans."

A Hazmat team needed to wear masks to go inside the house because of all the ammonia, feces, and parasites they feared they would find in there.

Furman said the case of abuse and neglect is indescribable. "I've never seen anything like this in real life. I've seen it in pictures and training."

The animals are being taken to shelters or foster homes for care and treatment. The sheriff's department plans to turn the case over to the district attorney for possible felony charges.


Case Updates
Posted on Nov 21, 2005 - 2:06PM
A Royalton family faces animal neglect charges in Waupaca County following a raid of their property in October. Charged are Brian C. Niemuth, 30; Jennifer E. Niemuth, 30; Clifford H. Niemuth, 59; Duane C. Niemuth, 68; and Sandra J. Niemuth, 61, all of E6460 State 54.

Brian and Jennifer Niemuth are charged with four counts of misdemeanor animal neglect and the other three are charged with six counts each.

An initial appearance on the charges is set for Dec. 1.

Police and animal control officers found several dogs and cats in ill health, poorly fed and living in their own feces when they raided the property in October.

There were several animal cages containing dogs that were stacked up in the house, and newspapers in the home were soaked with urine and feces.

Investigators said “the floor of the residence was covered with dirt, urine and fecal matter.”

Several animals appeared to be malnourished and there didn’t appear to be enough food available to feed the animals.

Officers found guinea pigs, cats, dogs, parakeets, ferrets, hamsters and gerbils all in cages in the house.

Two dead guinea pigs were found on a pile of clothing behind a door.
Source: The Post-Crescent - Nov 18, 2005

Back to Top
Posted on Oct 12, 2005 - 9:00PM
Veterinarians are examining for signs of abuse about 500 animals seized last week from a Royalton residence, a Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department captain said Monday.

Niemuth has not been charged with any crime, although the Sheriff’s Department may refer him for prosecution if the examinations show the animals were maltreated, Conat said.

Deputies seized two gerbils, two turkeys, two sheep, two goats, five ferrets, 17 kittens and cats, 29 goats, 35 rabbits, 51 puppies and dogs, 86 chickens, 92 hamsters and 115 guinea pigs.

Niemuth and county authorities have had ongoing disputes with Niemuth for years about his collection of junked vehicles. Niemuth has been cited numerous times for operating an unlicensed salvage yard.

They found animals tied to vehicles and they were just about everywhere else on the property,” Conat said. “There were quite a large number in the house. The guinea pigs and hamsters were all inside the residence. One officer made a comment about seeing a dead hamster on the kitchen cupboard.”
Source: The Post-Crescent - Oct 12, 2005

How anyone could live with themselves neglecting animals in such a way, let alone DEFEND doing it, is beyond me! The most animals my family ever had was about 20 at one time, and that was a handful!
 
OMG :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
How could someone possibly do something like that? I understand that some people don't have the same compassion for animals as we do....but 499?!?! :shock: Its amazing what horrible things people can do. :cry:

xxx
 
I can see how one mentally ill person might hoard animals with the delusion that they're doing well but how can a whole family do something like that.
I don't think I'll ever understand people.
 
Happybee, I agree with you there, animal hoarding is definitely a mental disorder, but how can a whole family be inflicted? I think it is purely a case of animal cruelty.

There was a case in our area a few years back, a lady who lived on her own kept about 20 dogs to many, and she just couldn't cope, and the dogs were really neglected. She was eventualy banned from keeping animals, but she kept insisting she loved them.

As a psychology student, I'm actually hoping to research a bit into animal hoarding at some point.
 
animal hoarding

I agree :) I think it is a mental disorder but as you say would a whole family be afflicted erm :?: hard question to answer :( I know of one woman who lives near me who is a hoarder :( she just cannot see that by stuffing lots of animals into her tiny bedsit that she is causing them to suffer :( she claims to love them but she just can,t stop "collecting" its almost like an adiction with her :( :shock: :? :evil: when they die she takes their bodies to bed with her 7 sleeps with them :evil: how sick is that :!: :?: :evil:
 
I have alot of animals
4 dogs
6 cats
3 lizards
2 hamster
2 gerbils
1 parrot
1 budgie
1 rosella
7 rats
1 chipmunk
15 rabbits
8 guinea pigs
and 2 ducks

But I can safely say everyone of these animals are looked after properly and I take ages everyday feeding and cleaning them.
I hate people who say they cannot look after an animal cause I know its difficult but If I can do it then others can to.
 
Pink_Princess_Linzi said:
I have alot of animals
4 dogs
6 cats
3 lizards
2 hamster
2 gerbils
1 parrot
1 budgie
1 rosella
7 rats
1 chipmunk
15 rabbits
8 guinea pigs
and 2 ducks

But I can safely say everyone of these animals are looked after properly and I take ages everyday feeding and cleaning them.
I hate people who say they cannot look after an animal cause I know its difficult but If I can do it then others can to.

Its fine to have lots of animals, if they are all looked after properly and get the apprropriate attention, which I am sure you do. Some people on this forum do amazing work for animal welfare, taking in the needy into their own home to be loved and cared for, I really admire them.

Its when they are not looked after is when problems happen. Someone suffering from an animal hoarding 'disorder' might think they are doing a good job by giving all these animals a home. They don't realise they actually need to be looked after, and by that I mean being fed, water, taken to the vet as required, given exercise and attention. These animals then become the victims of animal hoarders. They simply don't understand that love alone isn't enough to be a responsible pet/animal owner.

I don't think its really about someone saying they can't do something, someone with a mental disorder doesn't realise or have the ability to understand what they are doing. These people need to be helped, not criticised.
 
Pink_Princess_Linzi said:
I have alot of animals
4 dogs
6 cats
3 lizards
2 hamster
2 gerbils
1 parrot
1 budgie
1 rosella

7 rats
1 chipmunk
15 rabbits
8 guinea pigs
and 2 ducks

But I can safely say everyone of these animals are looked after properly and I take ages everyday feeding and cleaning them.
I hate people who say they cannot look after an animal cause I know its difficult but If I can do it then others can to.

What are budgies and rosellas? :oops:
 
poor animals how can people just keep getting more
ive seen things like this on animal planet with the animal cops thing and some of the houses are horrendous

greydaze said:
What are budgies and rosellas? :oops:

a budgie is a budgerigar or you might call them parakeets and a rosella is also a small parakeet i think :D
 
Please bear in mind that not everyone who has a large number or animals mistreats them. Obviously in this case it is clear they were not looking after them properly however everyone is different. I only live in a 3 bedroom house (with a large back garden) and run the rescue from home yet we have 300+ animals here at the moment, all looked after to a high standard. There is no endless line of volunteers, have yet to find someone willing to do hard work and stick to it. I know of many other people also with large numbers of animals who are equally as dedicated to them :thumb:

Cheryl
 
sgprescue said:
Please bear in mind that not everyone who has a large number or animals mistreats them. Obviously in this case it is clear they were not looking after them properly however everyone is different. I only live in a 3 bedroom house (with a large back garden) and run the rescue from home yet we have 300+ animals here at the moment, all looked after to a high standard. There is no endless line of volunteers, have yet to find someone willing to do hard work and stick to it. I know of many other people also with large numbers of animals who are equally as dedicated to them :thumb:

Cheryl

Obviously, running a rescue in which all the animals get the care they deserve is a much different situation!! The thing that got me about this was the dead and malnutritioned animals that were found around the residence, as well as the offender's attitudes afterward!

I am very glad for people like you, Cheryl, who have hearts big enough to take in so many unwanted creatures and save them from an otherwise certain death.

ryanh72 said:
greydaze said:
What are budgies and rosellas? :oops:


a budgie is a budgerigar or you might call them parakeets and a rosella is also a small parakeet i think :D

Oh, thanks! :lol:
 
oh my god! that is so cruel, i watched an old re-run of a "life of grime" the other day with a woman with a tiny flat and lots of cats and dogs with german shephards with no room to walk and she never took them out, how do people do it! i have 4 rabbits and 6 guinea pigs (only 4 are mine two are on holiday here lol)
 
499! Lordy. I've been watching Animal Planet a lot lately, and on the shows where they rescue pets there are a LOT of animal hoarders. It's such a pointless thing, hoarding animals. You couldn't possibly know 500 household pets indidivually, let alone care for them properly...especially as most hoarders are poor and old. They just can't see that a house full of practically feral cats who are constantly breeding is doing no-one any favours, least of all the animals.
 
I think there is a differnece between being an animal hoarder and someone who has alot of pets. I have 6 cats (owing to me and OH moving in together and doubling up on cats), 4 rabbits, 2 guinea pigs, 1 hamster, tank of Marine fish and 1 horse. But all my animals are well looked after, and I devote most of my time to them. If I knew I couldn't look after them I would worry. To hoard them and keep them in filth is disgusting. Poor babies.
 
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