Earlier this year, legislation introduced mandates that an individual who is found guilty of hoarding animals will be ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, against their will, to determine if counseling or treatment should become an additional condition of the sentence.
Several mental health organizations and the ACLU raised their concern against this legislation, which would criminalize individuals with mental health issues in a letter stating that, “hoarding is a psychiatric disorder, and it should be recognized as such, and not as a crime. Mental health treatment is most desirable when the patient cooperates voluntarily; in cases where it is necessary and the individual will not comply, the mental health commitment law remains available.”
