Jackson Free Press

Animal Planet's new show "Confessions: Animal Hoarding" will feature a local Mississippian tonight who had taken in numerous dogs, cats and even 12 pet rats.

The owner felt as though they were rescuing the animals, but became overwhelmed with more than they could bear. Eventually, the owner surrendered the animals to Community Animal Rescue and Adoption here in Jackson.

"Confessions: Animal Hoarding" gives viewers a glimpse inside the lives of everyday people who obsessively hoard animals. Animal hoarders may hoard an excessive number of animals without anyone knowing. They feel they are protecting them by keeping them all together, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. Sometimes, owners cannot care for all the animals they keep, and their pets do not get adequate amounts of the food, water and nourishment they need to survive. Many animal hoarders believe that they are rescuing animals and saving their lives, but they fail to realize that the conditions the animals are in might be far worse than before they were rescued.

Fortunately, the animals from the hoarding case here in Mississippi were not abused or harmed. Local veterinarians and CARA volunteers came together to spay and neuter the dogs, cats and rats, and CARA has found new homes for most of the animals.

Some animals still need caring homes, however: Jackie and Tater, two dumbo-eared rats; Shamrock, a female Jack Russell terrier mix, about 2 years old; and four cats from about 9 months to 2 years old are still waiting at CARA to be adopted. All the animals are healthy and have been spayed or neutered. For more information or to fill out an application to adopt one of these animals, visit carams.org.

According to Animal Planet, the number of animal hoarding cases is increasing, and about a quarter of a million animals are rescued each year. In Mississippi, CARA and local veterinarians gave their time, energy and passion to help both the owner and the many animals involved.

The new episode of "Confessions: Animal Hoarding" will premiere tonight at 9:00 p.m. CST.