How Many Dogs is Too Many to Own??

[Lisa Rose]

New Animal Planet series

We are producing a new series for Animal Planet about people who own a lot of animals. We are currently looking for pet families of 15 or more!

Some brand them as “animal hoarders.†We want to get to know them as people. We want to experience the special relationship they have with their pets and understand why they do what they do. We also recognize that trying to care for too many animals can sometimes be overwhelming. There can be financial burdens, health issues, family conflicts, even the run-ins with authorities. We want to see how animal lovers - and their families - deal with these challenges.

We also want to offer help. We have the resources to provide free veterinary care, spaying and neutering, even food if required. We will not force anyone to do anything they don’t want to do. We will not report anyone to any authorities. If help is needed, we want to find solutions that work for everybody.

Our goal as TV producers is to tell true stories about people who are often misunderstood – and if we can, to address issues that are too often ignored. To learn more, contact us at [email protected] – or call us at our toll free number: 1-877-MY8-PETS.

 

[Dekka]

Owning a lot of animals does not make you a hoarder. I have easily had 15 animals here before (between horses and dogs) Now have 13. They are not too hard to take care of. People who take in more animals than they can look after ususually DO have a problem.

You see it again and again, they get bailed out, animals get adopted etc.. a year (or less) later they are in the same boat.

 

[Fran101]

I think "too many" is when each animal doesn't have food, water, shelter, space and proper attention

so it differs from person to person!

 

[Catsi]

I think "too many" is when each animal doesn't have food, water, shelter, space and proper attention

so it differs from person to person!

I agree. For some, one is too many!

 

[PoodleMommy]

I think "too many" is when each animal doesn't have food, water, shelter, space and proper attention

so it differs from person to person!

agreed.

and adding vet care.

You should be able to not only meet the bare minimums for your pets but also be able to take them to the vet in an emergency.

 

[colliewog]

I too have had that many, if you include dogs, cats, rodents and reptiles. I've been up to 30 at one time! And they were all well fed, well cared for and got the appropriate attention they needed (obviously some types of animals need less than others ...)

 

[wcladymacbeth]

If it's for tv, they're probably looking for people who ARE hoarders, who own so many pets they can't take care of them all. And... they probably only thought of 15 because it sounds like a lot of pets, especially to a tv producer who might not own pets. And "15" is likely minimum for what they're looking for.

 

[wcladymacbeth]

Of course, the title of the thread is "How many dogs is too many to own?" So.. 15 DOGS is a LOT for one family.

 

[Criosphynx]

This is a subject that always hits a nerve for me.

Having alot of animals does NOT make you a hoarder!

If you can afford to care for them you are not a hoarder...I have seen people with as few as THREE animals that couldn't/wouldn't provide proper care.

 

[TexasRanger]

Here's a rundown of my "fur family":
4 dogs
3 cats
10 goats
1 horse
1 donkey
1 pot bellied pig
=20
The dog number will be down to 3 soon, Chevy is going down hill very quikly, just yesterday we discovered that she is blind in her left eye, add that to her renal, skin, and joint problems, plus she is 13. I am selling three of the goats, so then I will have 7.

 

[Amstaffer]

I think "too many" is when each animal doesn't have food, water, shelter, space and proper attention

so it differs from person to person!

Well said. If I won a big lottery I could own hundreds and give them all a great home......how? I could hire people to feed, clean, train, socialize and entertain them during the day and cuddle with them at night.

I actually have a dream that if I do win it big I'll have a Pit Bull rescue where I pay college students tuition, room and board to live and care for homeless pitties. How about a reality show for that

 

[ACooper]

This is a subject that always hits a nerve for me.

Having alot of animals does NOT make you a hoarder!

If you can afford to care for them you are not a hoarder...I have seen people with as few as THREE animals that couldn't/wouldn't provide proper care.

I agree with this, but I would also like to add to it.

Not only should you BE ABLE to care for them, their physical needs as well as emotional needs, but you should be DOING IT.

If you really really really like cats and have 40 of them, they are all fed, vetted, and cared for daily, their living quarters kept clean, and they aren't populating the world with hundreds more cats every year.........good for you. You don't have too many.

If you have one cat who isn't cared for, producing litter after litter of kittens, has an over flowing litter box, scrounges for it's own food, never sees a vet, then that is too many for you. Period.

No different with dogs, pigs, horses, or gold fish for that matter. It takes more than money in the bank to decide what is too many.........and right now, I have 2 dogs, 1 parrot, and 2 parakeets in this house. I would LOVE more animals but I am maxed out on the amount of chores I want to perform and time to give each one.

 

[GoingNowhere]

I don't know what I'd classify as the exact number for a limit, but yes, I do believe that there's a limit to how many dogs a person can reasonably have in their home and not be a hoarder/in over their head in some shape or form. "Animals" is a different question, because even the most incompetent owner ought to be able to keep a handful of tetras alive for awhile! So I'll stick to dogs.

Just my honest opinion. I think it varies based from person to person, but there definitely is an upper bound even for the richest people with the most dog experience and free time in the world.

There comes a point when it is both socially unacceptable and unhygienic to keep a given number of animals in your house. I love dogs and I wouldn't set the limit at 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 6 in some cases, but I can't imagine that a good owner with 10 dogs (picking this number out of a hat) can reasonably give the same attention/training/care/socialization in public to each of those dogs as that same owner would with a lesser number of animals.

In the same way that I would say that there's a limit to the number of children a person should have without picking an exact number to classify "too many", I'm saying the same with dogs.

I would never want to have more dogs than I could happily include in my day to day life and let them see the world. Dogs are social animals and deserve to live life seeing more than 4 solid walls and the inside of a privacy fence.

I do think that this limit changes when working dogs are involved.

Obviously, I know some have different opinions and I'm happy to agree to disagree, but this is mine and I don't expect to change it anytime soon.

 

[mrose_s]

It depends on each person/family and they're capabilities. Atm we have 4 dogs, 1 cat and 2 horses. May soon be taking on three pet bovines which should be interesting.

 

[Crowsfeet]

Ugh, I think animal planet is too many television stations to own

Maybe when your network grows up and gets real.

The post conveys to me that they are definitely seeking unhealthy hoarders. "We will offer you vet care, spay, neuter costs, and not report anyone to the authorities," ..as long as we can exploit your issues and (potentially innocent) ignorance to television viewers worldwide.


Not buying it.

 

[Criosphynx]

I must admit, that when I hear a large number, I don't immediatly jump to "wow they must be good owners" in my head. It concerns me until I know details. But that comes from working in pet stores my whole life and having dealt with, been friends with etc numerous customers that were mentally ill hoarders.


One woman boasted VERY PROUDLY that AC had removed 187 cats and dogs from her home. You would have thought she won the lotto the way she went on and on about it. She then showed me the 30 (yes you read that 30) MONITORS she had in her filthy car that she "rescued" by buying them off a homeless guy. Keep in mind most homes have trouble caring for one or two monitors, let alone 30. She then went inside and tried to buy MORE animals and I talked her out of it. She came back a month later to buy animals and I sent her away.


what I find annoying is the same people that jokingly say we have too many animals (we have 5 dogs) are the first people to call me when they find a stray wanting to know if we want it.

 

[corgipower]

I agree with everyone who says that it's not a matter of how many. For some, one can be too many. For others, 30 are easy.

TBH, the idea behind this show makes me very uneasy. I wouldn't mind so much if it was to bring to light that there are people with a mental illness who hoard.

Can you tell me that it's not going to be filled with drama and make anyone who owns more than 2 or 3 pets be frowned upon more than they already are? Are you going to mention that there absolutely are people with large numbers of animals who provide excellent care for them? Are you going to point out that hoarding stems from a mental illness?

Maybe in addition to helping them get food and vet care for their pets, you can provide mental health care for the people who need it?

 

[Criosphynx]

another thing to point out is that residivism is VERY high for animal hoarding. These people need long term support and care... som'thing they do not get.

taking the animals away and vetting them doesn't fix the problem, the person, if left alone, will hoard again.

 

[colliewog]

Of course, the title of the thread is "How many dogs is too many to own?" So.. 15 DOGS is a LOT for one family.

The title is different than the thread ... it just says 'animals', which is too broad. Even though I don't think 15 dogs is too many for a person/people with the time and money to care for them.

 

[Gypsydals]

It varies from person to person and from family to family.