Written Rationale

Why
Animal hoarding is an obsessive/ compulsive disorder (O.C.D.). Hoarding is when an individual obtains a large number of animals and then fails to provide the animals with their most basic physical and social needs. Animal hoarding is a problem because animals are collected into huge numbers, forgotten about, emaciated, and become alienated from the outside world. The way we found our information was by dividing our group into three small groups according to the main subjects. The main subjects were: political, psychological, and mental effects on the community and the animals. We researched websites and printed out the articles. Each group was required to write a paragraph or two over our main subject.
First we began with two topics concerning animal cruelty, puppy mills and animal hoarding. Our group decided not to research puppy mills because most of the problems stated against it had already been resolved or in the process of such. We managed to obtain an interview with the Public Relations Manager from the A.S.P.C.A., and her opinions regarding animal hoarding. We constructed our solution by having a discussion about trying to define the different aspects of the solution that needed to be put into effect to stop and prevent animal hoarding.

Justified Solution
Our first point was setting a limit on how many animals should be permitted per household. We decided that when a person got to the limit of fifteen animals they are required to obtain an official permit. Afterwards, we brainstormed on the appropriate amount of space an animal is required to sleep and exercise indoors and outdoors as well. Another point was the need of an inspector that would inspect the house on the living conditions on the animals’ ability to acquire food and water, the appearance of the animals, and then decide if the dimensions of the indoors and outdoors are appropriate for the animals. Each person is required to have a complete background check for former animal abuse charges to ensure animal safety. There is also a salary examination to confirm that all the animals are provided for.

Explaining Solution
To stop the problem of animal hoarding, as it is of today, and to prevent it from happening anywhere again, a law of animal hoarding is being established to prevent un-needed cruelty of hoarding on the animals of any resident or private property. This law is going to be put in place for any person that is not affiliated with either a shelter or animal rescue center. Since farmers need a lot of animals for various help around the farm, as long as they are on a working ranch and the living conditions to not affect the welfare of the animals, they are excluded from the limit. If they have an quantity of animals that exceeds a number of fifteen they need to get a licensed permit for those animals and need to check in and update their permit for any additional animals that are added after the fifteen animal limit. For any baby newborns of any kind of animal that are not excluded already have up to their first year of age to be sold, given away, or if wanted to be kept should be added to their permit by this time. The only animal that is excluded from the fifteen animal limit is fish and this is for the fact that fish are almost always kept in large amounts. For the people who are in the fifteen animal range they have an annual inspection by an inspector to check for any problems or violations of the animals living conditions, ability to acquire food and water, the appearance of the treatment of the animals, the square foot of the space the animals have to live and have room to run, a background check to look for any hoarding cases that might in your name, and then a salary evaluation to see if you can provide the right resources for the animals. The dogs or animals as big as a German Shepherd or a greyhound should have a four foot by two foot place to sleep, and for smaller dogs, cats, and other animals the same size should have half the size room as the big dogs. For running space outside the animals need to have an adequate size yard that will be approved by an inspector when the inspection is done. Doing these inspections and evaluations will help stop any hoarding cases now and will prevent any form happening again, due to the attention that will be closely paid to the care of the animals. If a hoarder finds a way to obtain animals again in a hoarding situation they will be severely punished with a fine of $3000 and if it cannot be paid they will be sent to prison for a year. When the hoarder gets out of prison they will still have to pay the full fine alluded so that it is sure the animals are paid for to be cared for. The second offender will be then limited to a five animal limit and not to be given any unauthorized animals. Then finally for a third time offender the offender will be stripped of all animals then sent to jail for three years and pay a $5000 fine when they get out. This applies to hoarders that have been convicted of three hoarding cases.
This is a plausible solution because it restricts hoarders from violating animal cruelty laws. It takes away the basic hoarding aspects that are of hoarding huge amounts of animals, having space to keep them, and treatment they need to live. There are fines that will make the hoarder think twice before ever hoarding again. The fines range from $1,000 for the first time hoarder, $3,000 for the second chance hoarder, if the hoarder still does not understand the third time all animals are taken away and they have to pay a fine of $5,000. The solution is specifically formed to cease present hoarding and prevention of future hoarding cases.

Why Our Solution Is The Best
This solution is the only one that will not just pertain to animal cruelty, because it has rules that specifically concern animal hoarding and its conditions. It is an adequate solution because it covers the things that hoarders/normal people would consider as a halt and would eventually understand why not to do it. Some objections to our solution may be the limit of animals per household because this could be considered an invasion of privacy, but the solution having a limit to fifteen and afterwards a license required past the limit it would be the correct approach of solving animal hoarding.

Cites:
“Animal Hoarding.” ASPCA: We Are Their Voice. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2011. .

“Animal hoarding: The crazy cat lady, explained – TODAY Pets & Animals – TODAY.com.” TODAY.com: Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales – TODAY show video, news, recipes, health, pets. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2011. .

“Animal Hoarding: When Pet Care Becomes an Obsessive Disorder.” Popular | Environmental Graffiti. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2011. .

” Hoarding : The Humane Society of the United States .” The Humane Society of the United States : The Humane Society of the United States . N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2011. .

“How Animal Hoarding Develops.” Animal Hoarding. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2011. .

“The Top Five Signs of Animal Hoarding.” List My Five. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2011. .