typical animal "horder" issue

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RosieHardy

RosieHardy

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Ok, me being a typical animal "horder" knows that every now and then when you see an Add for a guinea pig saying "free to a loving" home you just sorta have to go for it... obviously the time will come when enough is enough right?

I think it's slightly worrying when some people there dosn't appear to be a switch off button.
Taking in free, un wanted animals is fine just as long as you no that they don't actually stay "free" you need a cage, food, vet bill etc all of which my "friend" seems to over look EVERY time

I have 5 guinea pigs atm, there was a time when i had 8, and that was a struggle :P
My "friend" has 25! ... and thats just guinea pigs, all from taking in unwanted animals.
I no that's he's had lizards, dogs, cats mice.. basically you name it he's had it in his 3 story house, that has a concrete back garden (great for saying you have 25 guinea pigs that might like to go on the grass!)
He also has no job, and is a single parent. :laluot_32:

What worrys me is, whats going to happen when these animals get ill, and seeing as things always come in threes when it comes to animals getting sick theres bound to be a few needing medical attention at the same time, and with no income......

Ok, so i don't personally no him, he's a guy who recently added me on Facebook- i don't normally accept random requests but his profile picture was of a guinea pig so i thought hey , i can easily delete him.
I only go to no all this information as i happened to get chatty with him one day, i wasn't really doing much and he kept saying hi over and over, i'm kinda glad i did talk to him now.

I don't really no what to do, from the sounds of things he loves animals but has taken it to extremes, and if i'm honest, i doubt he'll give them much attention especially as he tried to flog me some mice that "over bread" and apparently his dog fell down the stairs the other day :laluot_32:
So **** knows how many animals he's actually got, but i'm guessing his house is full.
The problem is i can't call the RSPCA on him as i don't no where he lives and he's recently deleted me off facebook cus i said i didn't want to be his friend XD (he asked if i wanted to hang out with him sometime and to be his mate, i just said no and he deleted me) XD

but I'm also worried for his child you no ...
I mean how the hell can you stop people like this,
 
You're absolutely right to be worried I think. There's something not quite right there. A single father with all those animals... you have to wonder where his priorities are really because I very much doubt all their various needs are being met (perhaps the child's included). Even if he did work, that would be some financial drain!
 
I have kids, I have a partner, but we dont live together..and a lot of pets does that mean i am neither a good parent or a bad pet owner?
My kids are at school all day, therefore its best of both worlds.
As it is a facebook friend and not somebody you know in person, I do not think you know how he treats them or know his financial situation.
I do not want to sound negative, obviously if there is genuine concern, then its best to get it checked, but after recently being reported to the rspca myself (even though case was immediatly closed) it hurts.
Tori x
 
Yes but i doubt you have 25 guinea pigs, over bread mice and a dog thats fallen down the stairs?
He also admitted to the fact he take's in any animals thats free, he said that';s why he got such a big house cus its what he dose.. the fact he then had a child just made it so much worse.

He has no job, and can't drive.
It just worrys me where hes getting his money from to look after everything ad how hes going about taking them to the vets and things
 
Well if he has loads of other pets, like loads of cats and dogs, that does sound like too many. If he had maybe one dog, a few mice and 25 guinea pigs, that might not necessarily mean he's a hoarder, they could be in good conditions, you never know.

I think you're right to be worried, and report him to the RSPCA if you want, just so they can check it out, but do you know his full name and address?

Maybe add him as a friend again and try to get to know more, ask him what pets he has, see photos of their set ups, etc. You can just show him your photos too and that'd be a good way to find out if they look well cared for. If he'll add you again . . .

25 guinea pigs sounds like loads, but I'd think it's about the same as having a few dogs or one horse, for cost/time/work involved. It's easier to have lots of guinea pigs than lots of large animals . . . so it doesn't mean he's definitely a hoarder.

Someone is only a hoarder if they don't look after the animals properly and can't cope with them.

And I have 19 animals, but look after them well :P
 
Can you try and re-friend him on facebook? I know it is an excessive amount of animals and you are justifiably worried about how well they are looked after, but if you did report him and there were no problems with how he keeps them then it can hurt. If you could get in contact with him again, find out more about the situation and maybe offer him support in the form of advice and perhaps help him out with finding rescues or new homes for them if he indeed doesn't feel he is coping well then that might be a different way of handling it.
If however, you feel you should do something deep down in your gut and calling the RSPCA is that then it wouldn't do any harm in the long run xox
 
If he's on benefits he will be eligable to go to the pdsa for vetinary help! i wouldnt assume because he has so many he doesnt give a dam about them! I know what you mean though we all have to draw th line somewere! ive just recently turned down the offer of 3 girls and one boy with cages for free! i already have 6 and taking in more would mean less time/money (not to mention more vet bills) for them!
 
Another option is that he is not telling the truth , he may have some animals but is using it as a ploy to get to know people(females), especially as he asked to meet you.
 
I never thought of that.
Especially as he saw i had guinea pigs so maybe he though id like too see loads :/
 
i can understand your concerns but maybe he is a genuine animal lover.i am a single parent i work etc yet i have a lot of animals but they all get cared for and i would always find the money for vet treatment etc
you cant really judge unless youve been to his house and seen the animals in dirty cages etc are you sure he meant 25 guinea pigs?maybe he has a big shed and a few tribes
oh and the fact he doesnt work means he has benefits which is more money than i get rolleyes
 
daleksarah said:
oh and the fact he doesnt work means he has benefits which is more money than i get rolleyes
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More than I get too :)) I'm a student and I work part time (as in only maybe 2-4 hours a week . . . but I find the money for my pets, from somehwere. It works out relatively cheap if you buy in bulk.
 
mstori said:
you can only get vet treatment for 3 animals.
I am on benefots atm through ill health, but am not entitled to pdsa help.
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I didn't even realise that there was help out there like that. It said it's only council tax benefit and housing benefit. Tbh, I know very little about benefits anyway so don't even know what they are. I think it's a shame that you aren't entitled though if you are unable to work due to illness! Especially when there's a lot of people out there who don't work out of choice and are possibly benefiting from a charity like that that is there to help people who may be struggling financially. Still though, it's a good system to have in place. For the animals' sakes anyway!
 
Shelley said:
I didn't even realise that there was help out there like that. It said it's only council tax benefit and housing benefit. Tbh, I know very little about benefits anyway so don't even know what they are. I think it's a shame that you aren't entitled though if you are unable to work due to illness! Especially when there's a lot of people out there who don't work out of choice and are possibly benefiting from a charity like that that is there to help people who may be struggling financially. Still though, it's a good system to have in place. For the animals' sakes anyway!
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i get a 25% discount from my council tax so its not enough, and i also have my own homw, so i do not get housing benefit. There are rules about when you get your animals, for eg when 1 dies, you have to wait 6 months to get another, but it is good. Infact you can often go if your animal needs an expensive op for eg and you cant afford it. My friend on no benefits had her dogs op done with them. Paid them £800 where her vets had wanted £3,000! do not know the ins and outs of who can or cant get help.
Ive only just been told i was entitled to an extra bit benefit (from a friend) asked the jobcentre and they confirmed it was true, but i can no longer claim and it cant be backdated. seems a lot of the time its the scumbag claimers who know everything! you know, the ones that shouldnt be getting a penny!
I'm all for benefits, i used to work contracts and often had a 2 week break, but they need to crack down.. rant over, cos its off topic :D x
 
how do you know hes not living off some massive savings... becuase if he is on benefits... theres no way in hell...! the council would pay housing benefit on a three story house for 2 people...
I'm a single parent... i have 5 piggies and yes I'm on benefits... doesnt make me c r a p though... :)
if your genuinely concerned then fair doo's try and do you own little investigation before taking it further...
becuase you wouldnt want to be wasting the R.S.P.C.A's valuble time, if he is caring for all those animals... he could also be completely bull ****ting you...?
if hes randomly added you on facebook... the chances are hes probly a lyer... or just lonely... i dunno... just a thought...
x
p.s. just becuase of the earlier post... I'm not a scummy scum bag benifits theif...
I'm working towards going to uni to do law... :D
and ive never used P.D.S.A I'm a great beleiver if you cant afford animals you shouldnt have them... my vets let me pay a set amount a wekk for the bigger bills... especially if its an emergency and i dont have a penny to my name... they will happily wait untill i have been payed to pay them...
x
 
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I would certainly hope he had massive savings because if he is being honest, and he does have 25 guinea pig plus a menagerie of other animals, he would very much be struggling to feed them all (and his child) just by claiming benefits. Plus there would be a lot of very unhappy tax payers out there who would be a tad annoyed that the percentage of their income that goes towards welfare is partly funding this man's zoo lol.

Good luck with your studying btw! I studied law for a year and decided it was definitely not for me, however, I did find contract law pretty interesting. :)
 
my comment wasnt aimed at people who claim benefits (i claim too) it was rather the people who have never worked a day in their lives, dont go to college or anything and dont intent to .. good luck on your course.. ive deferred my degree for a bit, (was unnamed, as couldnt decide exactly what way i want to go lol) was doing it ou and its so hard. x
 
Shelley said:
I would certainly hope he had massive savings because if he is being honest, and he does have 25 guinea pig plus a menagerie of other animals, he would very much be struggling to feed them all (and his child) just by claiming benefits. Plus there would be a lot of very unhappy tax payers out there who would be a tad annoyed that the percentage of their income that goes towards welfare is partly funding this man's zoo lol.

Good luck with your studying btw! I studied law for a year and decided it was definitely not for me, however, I did find contract law pretty interesting. :)
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well if I'm honest with you ive been going through the family courts for over a year and i soon realised that the solicitors would take one look at me... read my notes saying "had child at 16" and they all treated me like ****... so i started repping my self and kicked ass... i did a better job than any barrister i ever had...!
lol
so i got a bit of a morbid interest in it....
but anyway... he deffo owns the house either way because DHSS wouldnt fund that... :)
but personally i think he might be over exagerating... becuase i can only just afford petrol, food and guinea pig stuff... :)
but I'm a tight arsed person anyway.. lol
all my piggies get the reduced food (i go shops 15 mins before closing) and i got a life time supply of saw dust(my dads a carpenter) and i get the hay from the local farm(a potatoe sack full for £1.50... :)
because I'm tight like that...
but anyway ive ramble right off topic...
lol
i think if he has got that much there is a way to do it on a tight budget.. but the chances are hes talking out of his arse... thats what i think any ways... :)
x
 
mstori said:
my comment wasnt aimed at people who claim benefits (i claim too) it was rather the people who have never worked a day in their lives, dont go to college or anything and dont intent to .. good luck on your course.. ive deferred my degree for a bit, (was unnamed, as couldnt decide exactly what way i want to go lol) was doing it ou and its so hard. x
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in no way did i think it was... it was more for the benefit of some peoples opinions really(this is not aimed at any one in particular).... because lets face it some people think we're scum... lol
:)
x
 
Shelley said:
I would certainly hope he had massive savings because if he is being honest, and he does have 25 guinea pig plus a menagerie of other animals, he would very much be struggling to feed them all (and his child) just by claiming benefits. Plus there would be a lot of very unhappy tax payers out there who would be a tad annoyed that the percentage of their income that goes towards welfare is partly funding this man's zoo lol.
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I dunno, If he had like 25 guinea pigs, 2 dogs and a few mice or something, I think he could afford it, maybe not if he had lots of dogs or something.

Cos if you buy in bulk it works out way cheaper, he could be buying bales of hay and big bags of cheaper guinea pig food and using only cheap veggies and cheaper bedding too.

Guinea pigs are not that expensive for food, bedding and hay if you do it that way . . .
 
Animals are an important part of many of our lives, and all of us on here know that they can give us so much love. I do not agree however in having pets you cannot simply pay for. One needs to know when to stop. People rant at me all the time about vet fee's etc, thats a whole other rant i could go on about. I hate being at work, when people cant/wont pay for treatment, compromising the care and health of the pet, and in some cases to the point of causing the pet to be living in pain etc. (but this isnt always) We need to know when to draw the line in caring for our pets and how much/how many animals we can take on. In the ideal world pet insurance would be compulsary causing less problems like the discussed.

x.
 
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