Mental Health Caseworker Animal Hoarding

About the Project:

The RSPCA Cornwall Branch have identified that animal hoarding is a complex problem that their caseworkers are increasingly coming across in their daily work. It can cost the RSPCA thousands of pounds each year to treat and support the animals that are discovered in hoarding situations.

Animal hoarding is a serious public health issue that affects entire communities.

• 75% of people with animal hoarding disorder have comorbid mood and anxiety disorders (DSM-V).
• Animal hoarding is often more complex than object hoarding because of the underlying motivation.
• The most common species of animals hoarded are cats and dogs, although it is possible to hoard any type of animal.
  Cornwall Mind and RSPCA Cornwall Branch have joined together to deliver a pilot project to gain valuable knowledge of this complex problem and develop ways of offering support to both the owners and their animals.

Key Objectives

• To promote the pilot project to a wide range of stakeholders and interested parties across the animal, health and social care system and beyond.
• To develop robust active links and work closely with the RSPCA caseworkers,adult social care, GPs, mental health teams and housing providers to facilitate joint working on safe and effective care and support to people with complex needs.
• To be able to build a rapport with individuals on a one to one basis to encourage animal ownership that is healthy, safe and sustainable for the person and their animals.
• To ensure the gathering of evaluation data to assess the effectiveness of the pilot project.