A drunk driver killed an “animal rescuer” in Texas in late September. The woman, Julie Gatheral, ran a “no’kill” shelter according to KCTV 10. It was said Gatheral had an “unconditional love for animals.”
Days after her death, her family asked for help for the more than 75 dogs and cats she and her husband, Ian, kept in her backyard. He and Julie paid for the expenses of taking care of the animals out of their own pockets.
Two rescues stepped up to help with this herculean effort: Barnyard Sanctuary and Last Chance Rescue.
Unfortunately, the no-kill shelter was not one would expect to find when these two rescues removed the animals. The dogs and cats lived in small crates scattered everywhere (video of conditions). This isn’t how any rescue should operate. Living in 3′ by 3′ crates 24/7 is indicative of a hoarding situation rather than resembling a no-kill shelter. Many of the animals were not spayed or neutered. If you clicked on the above link, it is sad to see how they were forced to live.
Gatheral’s “shelter” was called Pet Palz and listed her “rescue” on Petfinder with the following information:
Pet Palz was started as a pet sitting business in 2007 expanded to now include rescue adoptions since the economy has forced so many unwanted pets into shelters.The pet sitting helps to fund the medical daily needs of the rescue pets in our care. We saw the need to open our home to many unwanted pets, for whom we provide care medical attention until they find their forever home .So far we have successfully rehomed over 50 pets to loving new homes.
While the deceased may have had an unconditional love for animals and sincerely wanted to help them, she clearly didn’t provide what they needed. We will never know the truth of her intentions but she and her husband’s actions revealed the harsh reality.
According to Tufts university, animal Hoarding previously known as “collecting”, is a poorly understood phenomenon which trancends simply owning or caring for more than the typical number of pets, and affects every community in the US. It has serious consequences for people, animals, and communities. New cases are reported in the media each day, with dozens of others unreported, and still more undetected.
Animal hoarding is not about animal sheltering, rescue, or sanctuary, and should not be confused with these legitimate efforts to help animals. It IS about satisfying a human need to accumulate animals and control them, and this need supercedes the needs of the animals involved.
Animal hoarding is a community problem. It is cruel to animals, can devastate families, be associated with elder abuse, child abuse, and self-neglect, and be costly for municipalities to resolve. Without appropriate post-intervention treatment, recidivism approaches 100%. Increased awareness, leading to more comprehensive long-term interventions, is needed.
According to the ASPCA, research shows many hoarders are beginning to set themselves up as “rescue shelters,” complete with 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status. They may appear to be sensible people, persuasively conveying their love for animals and readiness to take those who are sick and with special needs. Furthermore, the Internet appears to be becoming a great tool for solicitation.
“When looking to place an animal, it is easy for a person to get seduced by a pretty website,” points out Lockwood. “We need to caution people to look behind the curtain before giving over an animal.”
Here are several signs that a rescue group or shelter may involve a hoarder:
- The group is unwilling to let visitors see the location where animals are kept.
- The group will not disclose the number of animals in its care.
- Little effort is made to adopt animals out.
- More animals are continually taken in, despite the poor condition of existing animals.
- Legitimate shelters and rescue organizations are viewed as the enemy.
- Animals may be received at a remote location (parking lot, street corner, etc.) rather than at the group’s facilities.
The dogs and cats are finally safe and in good hands. If you wish to help the animals, please visit the Barnyard Sanctuary.
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More people and “rescues” are disguising thselves as protectors of animals when in reality they are hoarders of animals. They need to be checked on like shelters. Too many fall under the radar. The pets pay the price for the selfishness or mental disorders of those who think they are helping them. It shouldn’t be easy to start a rescue. This was a case of hoarding not rescuing. This woman nor her family have been held responsible for her actions. The husband knew and did nothing. I know he’s grieving and I do feel very badly his wife lost her life due to a drunk driver but these dogs and cats had a painful life too. Glad they’re in a better place.
Another rescuer had over 120 animals kept in small cages with little to no exercise. Took yrs for the dogs to be removed due to the local government not wanting to get involved. I think it’s a crime for them not saving the dogs. It was the volunteers who called a TV station to do a story and expose the cruelty. The dogs were finally removed after yrs of confinement.
This is deplorable. If she had been adopting, why didn’t anyone report her? Looking at the photos you can see the awful conditions these dogs were forced to live in. Her death is a tragedy and I’m sorry for her family’s loss. I’m also sorry for the tragedy that happened to these dogs. I don’t know why some people think they’re helping animals when they are hurting them. This wasn’t healthy for them. Sure, they weren’t being euthanized but they certainly weren’t living. The husband is guilty too of not doing anything to help them. It said the family asked for help not him specifically. How can anyone look at the dogs stuck in these tiny cages and think they’re saving their lives and doing good? Hoarding is a mental disorder. I see so many rescues on social media. With the plethora of rescues, one has no idea which ones are legitimate and which ones are hoarders or fake. I’m happy they’re all safe now.
Those animals endured suffering not a safe place until they got adopted. I’m sure people weren’t good enough to be adopted; hence, why she had so many dogs and cats. This is going to continue to happen with explosion of social media. Anybody can by anybody over the internet. You can yourself a rescuer and be an animal abuser. Please check out places before your surrender a pet. Your pet gets in the wrong hands and they can endure a lifetime of pain and lonliness. These dogs and cats are now fortunate to have been saved. Who knows how much longer each would have had to languish in those pathetic cages if not for the tragic death of this woman?