Animal Hoarders: Resist the Lynch Mob Mentality

This was my response to an article about a cruelty case in Britain involving animal hoarding. Many people understandably wanted to find the women responsible and "hang 'em high." The thing is that animal hoarding is different from premeditated cruelty and while we as a society must work to prevent it, we must also treat it as a mental illness rather than a strictly criminal activity.

Hoarding is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. These individuals need psychiatric help. That being said, they should also be banned from ever keeping any kind of animal again.
I struggle with hoarding objects but do not see how people could do it to the critters. I couldn't bear seeing animals suffer that way. I have 5 cats, which are all indoor cats. They have free roam of the house and always have food and water. I used to have two dogs as well but had to find a new home for them because I could not financially keep up with their veterinary care and my chaotic work schedule also made me a less than ideal human companion. I found a good rescue, and they got them a good new home.
The point being overall that while it is necessary to protect the animals from people with delusions such as these women were living with, it is also necessary to understand that they have a psychiatric illness and try not to approach from a "lynch mob" mentality.