Animal hoarding occurs in communities across the U.S. and researchers estimate that hoarding accounts for the suffering and death of over 250,000 animals each year. For instance, if you search the news section on Google for “Animal Hoarding” you will find recent stories all over the U.S.
Most recently, we’ve seen:
These dire conditions cause immense suffering for both animals and people, while overwhelming local animal shelters. So how can you help? The first step, is education.
In this post, we’ll answer and provide resources to common animal hoarding questions.
What is considered animal hoarding?
According to the ASPCA, the following criteria are used to define animal hoarding:
What causes animal hoarding?
Often, the behavior of animal hoarding begins after an illness, disability, or difficult life event. In most situations, the owner sees the animals as a major source of love, and they have the best of intentions of caring for their animals. However, overtime they become overwhelmed and unable to make decisions which leads to unintentional neglect or abuse.
The Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) states that hoarders also have an intense emotional attachment to their animals. They avoid the pain of letting go of things that seem very special, even when clutter prevents comfortable living. Like object hoarders, animal hoarders believe that things should be saved for some special event, even if the event never happens. They imagine the wonderful way in which they will heal love, and nurture their pets, while overlooking the terrible effects of having too many of them.
“The sometimes hundreds of dog or cat victims of a single hoarder generally show signs of abuse such as severe malnutrition, untreated medical conditions including open sores, cancers, and advanced dental and eye diseases, and severe psychological distress.” - Animal Legal Defense Fund
Who is most likely to hoard animals?
The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium reviewed the case records of 71 incidents from across the United States and Canada to determine what characterizes a typical animal hoarding case. Of the cases reviewed, here’s what they discovered:
There are also commonalities in the living environment. Often essential utilities and major appliances such as showers, heaters, stoves, toilets, and sinks were not functional. 70% of the homes had fire hazards and 16% of the residences were condemned as unfit for human habitation.
At Bio-One, the circumstances as described in the research findings above are common for our teams. Animal waste can be unsafe when not properly contained and regularly cleaned, as well as human urine and feces. Learn more about Bio-One’s hoarding services.
What happens to animals after they are rescued?
Sue Marue the founder of the Arizona based cat rescue Ark Cat Sanctuary, spoke with our Bio-One Mesa, AZ team and said:
We have taken in dozens and dozens of cats from all over Arizona that have been rescued from hoarders. The lucky ones can be up for adoption within weeks. But for some, they will never be ready for adoption and will live out their days at Ark or we cannot save them because they are just too sick. We have one little tabby that we rescued from a hoarder in Phoenix over a year ago that just last week allowed us to pet her and love her. Sometimes it takes that long. The problem with that is most rescues cannot take a year for an animal to come around. They don't have that kind of space or time. It isn't their fault, it is just how it is. We deal with overpopulation, under-funding and just not enough help. Unfortunately, it’s the animals that suffer.
Bio-One animal hoarding case study
In a 2018 blog post, the Bio-One team in Orlando described circumstances that led their team to remediating an animal hoarding situation:
“Bio-One cleaned out a home in Polk County, Florida, when a Hoarder was discovered by pure coincidence. The Hoarder was to be evicted from the rental property due to nonpayment. The local Sherriff's office came to evict him from the property and this was when the situation of Hoarding was discovered. He had been hoarding many dogs within the home and living in deplorable conditions. Animal Control came out and confiscated the animals. The Hoarder was taken into custody at the moment of discovery. The whole situation was incredibly sad and ultimately could have been avoided...”
Read the entire story on their blog.
How Can You Help?
The most immediate ways to make in impact in your community is to contact your local animal rescue to make a donation or volunteer your time. Also, if you see an animal in distress, contact your local authorities.
If you think someone you know is struggling with animal hoarding, ASPCA.org lists important steps to ensure the animals are quickly helped and the hoarder receives the support they require.
Bio-One teams across the U.S. answer calls to help their communities and remediate a variety of scenes. In our new blog series, we'd like to bring you into the Bio-One world by sharing stories of the unique and important work we do for local communities.
Here is Week 1 of our Bio-One Weekly Wrap-Up.
Homeless Encampment Clean-Up - Temecula, CA
On the west coat, the Bio-One team was called by the Hemet San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce to safely decontaminate an area outside their office. With homelessness on the rise, there is in increase of biohazardous waste that is sadly starting to accumulate in zones of our cities.
While Bio-One teams have been actively remediating homeless encampments for decades, we just refreshed this information on our Bio-One website. View it here.
"We are actively looking for partnerships to help keep our cities clean and safe for children and families." - Jason and William, Bio-One Owners
COVID-19 Disinfection to Raise Money for Local Police Sgt. - Asheville, NC
In the fall of 2020, it was announced that Jax, the 3 year-old son of Sgt. Jordan Warren at the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Sgt. Warren has served the community in Henderson County for 10 years, and the community has rallied on his behalf by donating thousands of dollars for the family in their time of need.
To help raise money, the Bio-One team in Asheville raffled off a COVID-19 disinfection, up to 5,000 sqft for any home or business. The raffle ran through January 2021 and raised over $600. This week, the team happily treated the winner, Strong Hand Fitness, to the disinfection.
"Police officers and their families make big sacrifices to serve their community, most of which go unseen. So, when first responder families are in need, we want to help anyway we can. We wish the entire Warren family the best as Jax continues his fight." - Matt Gregg, Bio-One Owner
Cat Rescue - Flagstaff, Arizona
In January, the Bio-One team in Flagstaff answered the call to remediate an unattended death. They learned from the next of kin that a husband had passed away in the home while his wife, at the time, was fighting for her life at the local hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Once the team arrived, it was clear this would be a multi-day job. Not only was there a biohazard to remediate, but the home was hoarded and restoring the home to a safe environment was an urgent need. While working, the Bio-One crew identified three cats lingering in and around the home. Initially, it was assumed one cat was owned by the family, and the other two were part of the neighborhood. The first cat, nicknamed Hunter, was given to the Ark Cat Sanctuary for a checkup and to eventually find a new home. In the spirit of kindness, the team also provided food and water for the other two neighborhood cats when working onsite.
Several weeks passed, and the Bio-One team received word that the wife had sadly lost her life due to complications from COVID-19. The next of kin asked the team to revisit the home and remove remaining items. Shortly after work began, the two neighborhood cats were found. It was then revealed that the two animals were owned by the deceased couple. After living off the land for months, they were rescued by the Bio-One team and turned over to the Ark Cat Sanctuary for care. We hope each animal finds a loving home.
"We are very fortunate that our staff and owners have a heart for animals and will do whatever they can to help the pets like we do our clients." - Rebecca Wallace, Bio-One Owner
Rebecca Wallace, Bio-One owner, recently visited with Arizona Midday to share how the Bio-One team makes a difference on and off the job in Arizona and throughout the United States.
Arizona Midday - "Well we've got some help for your home right now. If you're feeling overwhelmed by a clean-up project, we've got help for you today. Rebecca Wallace is with Bio-One. Hi Rebecca. What is Bio-One?"
Rebecca - "So Bio-One is known for crime and trauma scene clean-up. However, we do a lot more than just that. We help people when there is a hoarding situation, so that they can regain their home and their lives again. We help with infectious disease decontamination, rodent droppings, odor abatement, basically if you think you might need a respirator to do the job we're the people you want to call."
Arizona Midday - "Wow, that's incredible. It's stuff we don't want to do. What made you decide to get into this line of work?"
Rebecca - "So, me and my husband live in Flagstaff most of the time and we were talking with some first responders and heard how when people pass away or they're hoarders there is no one that can help them. There's just no one who does this kind of work. So we decided we want to be able to help our community, help those around us during a time of need so they can actually move forward in their lives and not have to deal with the mess of maybe things that have happened that they don't want to have to think about."
Arizona Midday - "I love that idea. So in order to help your clients as much as possible, do you work with other companies? Tell me about that if you do."
Rebecca - "Yes, we do. We work with quite a few other companies, because what we do is just a piece of a whole puzzle. So we work with a lot of restoration companies, Best Option Restoration, they are state-wide like us so they can help us anywhere as well. We work with animal rescues, so if there is a hoarding situation that animals are involved in we can get the animals out safely and get them rehabilitated. We work with quite a few non-profits that help first responders if they're in a time of need or crisis. It's across the board. We work with all kinds of different people. Contractors. Mental health professionals. Anyone that can be a piece of that puzzle with us, we want to work with them.
Arizona Midday - "Oh, I love that. So what areas of Arizona does Bio-One cover?"
Rebecca - "We have offices all the way down from Tucson up to Flagstaff, and everything in-between. Our goal is to be able to help our clients within 90 minutes or less if there is an emergency. So we have offices everywhere. Any we're national. We have 120 offices throughout the US as well.
Arizona Midday - "Wow. That's incredible. So you work with businesses. You work with non-profits, but you're also really involved in the community too, right? Tell me about that."
Rebecca - "Yeah we are. It's important for us to give back. Our community is important. We live here. We're part of it. So in 2020 alone, we gave out over 25,000 bottles of chemicals that are approved by the EPA for COVID-19 decontamination. We have blood drives all throughout Arizona to help with the blood shortage. We donate PPE to first responders and victim advocates. And we have BBQ's throughout the state as well for all of our first responders just to tell them thank you for what they've been doing. They work hard and we want to make sure that they know we care.
Arizona Midday - "Rebecca Wallace, incredible work that you're doing with Bio-One. And thank you so much for spending time with us today.
Rebecca - "Thank you for having me."
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (en español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: dial 711, then 1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause of death (after accidents) for people aged 10 to 34. And according the CDC, published reports from 2020 suggest that the pandemic has had a negative effect on children’s mental health.
“Beginning in April 2020, the proportion of children’s mental health–related ED visits among all pediatric ED visits increased and remained elevated through October. Compared with 2019, the proportion of mental health–related visits for children aged 5–11 and 12–17 years increased approximately 24%. and 31%, respectively.”
Researchers have yet to link recent suicides to the pandemic since 2020 suicide data is not yet available. But on the ground, there's growing concern.
The February 2021 NPR article “Child Psychiatrists Warn That The Pandemic May Be Driving Up Kids' Suicide Risk” explores possible correlation. Takeaways include:
For ways to help kids at risk, NPR encourages readers to read Part 2 of their story, “Make Space, Listen, Offer Hope: How To Help A Child At Risk Of Suicide”.
Suicide Prevention Resources
Survivors of Suicide – What to Do Next
The loss of a loved one by suicide can be a deeply painful and traumatizing experience; however, it’s important to know that everyone experiences suicide loss in their own way. As you begin the process of healing, consider reading the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s guide for to talk to others about what happened and identify ways to take care of yourself.
Additionally, if you have lost someone to suicide, there may be a cleanup required. There is no need for family or friends of the loved one to be further traumatized or overwhelmed with trying to figure out how to clean the impacted area. Bio-One is here for you. Learn more about Bio-One’s suicide remediation services.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (en español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: dial 711, then 1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
At Bio-One we believe in the motto Help First, Business Second, and Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show that we mean it. Each year we spread kindness and say thank you to community partners, such as police departments, victim advocates and apartment communities.
And when it comes to showing appreciation, nobody in our industry does it better than Bio-One. Here are a few ways we celebrated Valentine's Day in 2021.
We are giving away our Bio-One bears to our apartment community managers and a few referral partners we have connected with to show our love and appreciation for trusting us to take care of their clients and get the job done right!
- Armand and Michele, BioOneOceanside.com
We made up small boxes with chocolates, hand disinfectr, pens and business cards and brought them to local victim advocates, police dispatchers, housing managers and other partners as a thank you for everything they do on a daily basis and to show the brighter side of Bio-One.
- Victor and Courtney, BioOneAtlanticCity.com
Our team spread some Valentines love to our local Sheriffs Department and victim advocate team! We appreciate all they do!
- John and Jen, BioOneCharlotte.com
Each basket has 10 packs of popcorn, 20 packs of fun dip, and heart shaped suckers, along with rack cards. We gave these baskets to police department's, victim’s advocates, and coroners.
- Jonathan and Samantha, BioOneDayton.com
Showing some appreciation to those who keep us safe! We made grab 'n go snack baskets for police offices and substations.
- Ginger and Jamie, BioOneDuvalCounty.com
Mirror Review published the article "Nick-Anthony Zamucen - A Game-Changer in the Restoration Industry" and we couldn't be prouder! Over the past 15 years, Nick has established a Pizzeria Chain franchise, a home care franchise, a bio-recovery franchise, and BOR. All of which are stories of success!
If you're considering stepping into the Bio-One family, here are our top 5 favorite Nick-Anthony Zamucen quotes from this article and how they relate to owning a Bio-One franchise.
1. “They’ve gone through enough, let’s go in there and end their day better than it started.”
This is a core mentality of the Bio-One motto Help First, Business Second. Crime scene cleaning is an industry where you know you are making a positive difference in people’s lives, and you will have the opportunity to help people in their greatest time of need. It's as close to being a hero on a day-to-day basis as you can get.
2. “One of the greatest enjoyments of business is interrupting the ‘status quo’ in set industries."
Over twenty years ago, the 'status quo' in crime and trauma scene cleaning was DIY. But after first-hand experience, Nick knew it was time for things to change.
Nick encountered a fellow church member who recently lost her husband after he had sadly taken his own life. After police had finished their inspection, she was left with the traumatizing aftermath from the suicide that occurred. With the mindset of helping a community member in need, Nick visited the home with the church minister and helped clean the biohazard. Soon after, Nick realized similar situations are unfortunately faced by countless individuals throughout the country and world, and with the simple idea of helping others, Bio-One was born.
Fast forward to today, Bio-One Inc. is still paving the way in this industry. In 2021, Bio-One was named number one in crime scene cleaning and trauma scene cleaning in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list. Why? Our experienced training and support team will help you launch and build your franchise business. Bio-One has developed the necessary referral networks, created top tier marketing plans, and established vendor relationships to increase your profitability.
3. “You don’t have to wear every hat and figure out every detail by yourself. When you buy a franchise, you are buying into a success strategy, a road map, and a proven game plan."
One of the benefits of buying into a franchise is that you can be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. Once you begin your Bio-One business, there is a robust training and support program, systems and tools. We begin with our initial franchise training at our headquarters, and ongoing training classes are hosted throughout the year via live webinars and conference calls.
4. “This is fun and business is challenging, but how fun would it be if it were easy? I live to win and compete. I don’t live my life aiming for the second prize. It’s first or nothing…that’s what keeps me motivated."
In order to expect your new business to be a success, prepare to work. You can't just throw a bunch of seeds into the wind and expect a high yield crop. You have to be willing to put in effort from sun up to sun down to get where you want to go.
Bio-One provides the training and game plan, but the fun begins when you push yourself to execute all you've learned. You will have an incredible support system behind you, but you are the key to your own success. Once you buy a Bio-One franchise, prepare to work like never before. And prepare to be rewarded like never before.
5. “We teach life skills and business ownership. There is no one size fits all plan for everything, because everyone is uniquely different and needs different things.”
Supporting franchise owners is the backbone of our success. We recognize that Bio-One owners have unique skill sets and business backgrounds. Whether you're a retired police officer, military service member, marketing professional, or data analyst - there's a place for you.
If you answer "Yes" to any of these questions, Bio-One is a good fit for you!
Last week, news hit that Bio-One Inc. was ranked number one in Entrepreneur magazine’s 42nd Annual Franchise 500 for crime-scene and trauma-scene cleaning. Bio-One franchise owners across the U.S. celebrated the achievement by sharing what Bio-One has meant to them and their community.
Here's what Bio-One owners had to say.
"Some of the jobs we come across are very stressful and emotional. We make it our priority to make each one of our clients comfortable with everything going on. We do our best to make a bad situation as easy as possible." - Justin Brady, Bio-One of Biloxi
"The opportunity to be the on what maybe the worst day of someone's life is incredibly rewarding. Both Rick and I believe in community and we are proud to be part of a company that lives the, 'Help First, Business Second' motto." - Karen Jacobs, Bio-One of Raleigh - Durham
“We have cherished each opportunity to truly make a difference in our community.” - Rene Flohr, Bio-One of Poway
“When looking at purchasing a Bio-One office, the first thing that stuck out to us wasn’t the fact that we would be cleaning what is impacted after a suicide, homicide, unattended death or so-on. What stuck out to us was 'Help First, Business Second.' We wanted to help people and make a difference in our community." - Rebecca Wallace, Bio-One of Flagstaff
“We value each and every relationship we have built and the opportunities we have had to truly make a difference in the lives of those in need." - Nadine Black, Bio-One of Winston-Salem
If you've ever wanted to own your own business and make a difference in your community, now is the time!
There's a reason Bio-One Inc. is considered one of the Hottest Franchises in 2021.
Our number one goal is to build a thriving community of franchise owners. We achieve this with our robust training and support program, systems and tools. Bottom line, you can be in business for yourself, but not by yourself, receiving hands–on training and support as you grow as a Bio-One franchisee.
Bio-One Inc. ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s 42nd Annual Franchise 500 at #241 for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. This is the fifth year in a row that Bio-One has been included in the ranking.
Succeeding 11 years of franchising, Bio-One provides service in recovery and suicide cleanup, homicide cleanup, hoarding situations, junk removal, deceased animal recovery, feces removal, pest and rodent droppings and much more. The number of Bio-One franchises have increased 145 percent in the last three years with over 100 locations in 41 states.
“We’re honored to be recognized by Entrepreneur,” said Nick-Anthony Zamucen, CEO of Bio-One Inc. “The ranking is a direct reflection of our Bio-One family, strength of our business model, and our ability to consistently deliver care and compassion to our clients.”
The key factors that go into the evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500® in ranking order.
“2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but it was also a year of unusual opportunity,” says Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur editor-in-chief. “Franchises were able to be nimble and innovative, serving the needs of franchisees and customers in ways that will resonate for many years to come. We believe that, when we eventually look back on this time, we’ll see it as a moment when many brands defined themselves for the future.”
Over its 42 years in existence, the Franchise 500® has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. Bio-One’s position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.
About Bio-One Inc.
Bio-One Inc. is the first crime and trauma scene cleaning franchise, operating in 41 states with over 100 locations. Bio-One is committed to providing excellent service in recovery and suicide cleanup, homicide cleanup, hoarding situations, junk removal, deceased animal recovery, feces removal, pest and rodent droppings and much more. Each office is independently owned and operated by a member of the local community. For more information about Bio-One, visit us at biooneden.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Bio-One Inc. has received it's first award of 2021! We are so honored to be able make a difference in communities nation wide. Thank you to all the amazing franchises that help make Bio-One so great!
If you know of someone in need of our services, please take a look at our locations to find the nearest Bio-One office near you. Stay safe!
B.O.T.S. Day 2. Join us in welcoming new owners Corey from Vacaville, CA., Brett from ST. Paul, MN., and Lucas from Portland, ME. Ready to rock!
