Two high-profile animal hoarding cases in Martin County this summer — and a third in Palm Beach County — have prompted questions about whether more can be done to prevent animal neglect before it reaches a crisis point. The answers, experts say, are not simple.
On July 20, Martin County deputies rescued more than 100 cats and dogs from a house near Hobe Sound.
Animal hoarding cases raise questions about prevention efforts
“This is the worst animal hoarding case that I’ve seen,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said at the scene.
Exactly three weeks later, on Aug. 10, the same group of deputies rescued 36 border collies from a Palm City house piled with feces and rot. The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, which was still handling rescue efforts of the previous case, then said this was the worst hoarding case they’d ever seen…