Episode 3

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Published on:

7th Feb 2023

Rescue Hoarding: Athens County Ohio 2017

In this episode we dive into what are hoarders and go into the details of a rescue hoarder case from our 2017 files in Athens County, Ohio. Our guest is Mary Beth Brown, the former Dog Warden who worked with us in this case where we rescued… well… you will have to listen to find out how many dogs this elderly lady had in her house.

Hoarding is not just animal cruelty. This is a mental health problem and we have to do better to protect the animals and to rehabilitate the individual. Without mental health assessments and treatment, animal hoarding has a near 100% recidivism rate, meaning they will likely do it again.

For images from this case visit our facebook page at The Animal Welfare Junction podcast.

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About the Podcast

The Animal Welfare Junction
Veterinary Forensics
The Animal Welfare Junction is a podcast developed to bring awareness to different topics in animal welfare. The host, Michelle Gonzalez (Dr. G) is a veterinarian who provides affordable veterinary care in the State of Ohio, and also a Forensic Veterinarian helping with the investigation and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.
The topics presented are based on the experiences of Dr. G and our guests and include discussions about real cases, humane projects, and legal issues that affect animals and the community. Due to the nature of the discussion, listener discretion is advised as some topics may be too strong for some listeners.

About your host

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Alba Gonzalez

Michelle González (DrG) was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her passion growing up was to become a veterinarian. She obtained a B.S. in Zoology at Michigan State University and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University, followed by a 1-yr Internship in Medicine, Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In 2006 she founded the Rascal Unit, a mobile clinic offering accesible and affordable sterilization, and wellness services throughout the State of Ohio.
Dr. G is involved in many aspects of companion veterinary medicine including education, shelter assistance and help to animals that are victims of cruelty and neglect.
DrG completed a Master’s degree in Veterinary Forensics from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently enrolled at the University of Florida Forensic Science program. She assists Humane organizations and animal control officers in the investigation, evaluation, and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.