One welfare a framework to improve animal welfare and human well-being

32 Section 2

Continued

Case Study 6 – Prairie Mountain Inter-Agency Hoarding Coalition (by PMIHC)

(PMIHC, Canada)

The Prairie Mountain Inter-Agency Hoarding Coalition (PMIHC) is a multi-agency

group in the western part of Manitoba, Canada. The group came together in 2010

to tackle issues of hoarding and domestic squalor (H+DS) in the region. The

PMIHC was founded by a multidisciplinary group consisting of: public health

inspectors,^1 fire inspectors and animal welfare veterinarians. Each discipline

shared common concerns about the growing numbers of complex H+DS cases

trending in the area.

In essence, these responders noticed that they were unwittingly addressing the

same calls with very little interagency coordination or common understanding of

each other’s mandates and legislative constraints. Before long, these officials real-

ized that they singularly lacked the tools and resources necessary to achieve

positive outcomes. It was also obvious to each group that mental health disorders

were an underlying issue for each H+DS case and that, to be successful, a more

interprofessional approach was needed.

From its inception, the concept of ‘One Welfare’ was also core to efforts. The

following case summaries highlight some of the ways in which the PMIHC has

progressed with respect to response, recovery and prevention strategies:

Case 1: ‘Level 5’ hoarding and entry warrants

A landlord who owned over a dozen rental properties kept them in varying degrees

of dilapidation, rapidly becoming unsuitable for tenants to occupy. The owner com-

pulsively collected household items, furniture, rubbish, clothing, etc., and com-

pletely filled up four dwellings with contents. There were between two to three cats

per dwelling, suffering neglect and forced to live in squalor, their primary purpose

being to control mice and rats.

The individual cut

out cavities in the

walls and purchased

intermodal shipping

containers to ‘store

treasures’. Neighbours

complained to local

authorities about the

fire and health haz-

ards on these proper-

ties. The owner was a

charming individual

with excellent cognitive

skills, but was very

evasive despite her

friendly demeanour.

She consistently refused entry to regulators and invoked her rights of privacy. In

the end, health officials had to collect evidence and witness statements to obtain

‘entry warrants’.