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Hi Karla,
This hit home with me.
I'm a stuff hoarder with a lot of animals also. Years ago I went from rescue to sanctuary for older/abused/difficult-to-place animals. In order to care for the growing number of animals I quit my paying job with a vet/kennel and made the sanctuary my full time job. I also have an adult daughter with disabilities who lives with me and she is capable of a lot of the care as well.
My house and property are large enough to accommodate dogs and cats in their clean areas but they generally have access to the hoard if they choose. They are all well vetted, licensed, have quality food and bottled water. Their needs come before the needs of my daughter and me.
That being said it's important to keep the emotional needs of the animals in mind as much as the physical. We currently have 9 cats and 7 dogs of varying breeds and size. Each animal needs daily personal interaction. You have to know each animals' stress level and know their normal behavior patterns to recognize when one is slightly off. We know each bark and what the tone means. Maintaining a good emotional balance is vital to the happiness and comfort of each animal.
For my daughter and I we decided several years ago what our limit was and to stay firm with that. As these animals die (our top number was 20) we will not replace. Ideally we will outlive our babies. If not, care and finances have been set in place for any still living.
So I get the mindset of your friend. And if her physical care is very good she sees herself as their best caretaker. But no one can take care of 30 dogs without daily help. Plus it sounds like she is open to taking in more. That's a big negative in her situation.
If the animals are not in obvious distress who would you turn her in to? If there are no laws in your area as to how many dogs she can keep she may be within her rights. She sounds like she's a hoarder but sadly it has to go pretty far into abuse before animals are removed.
Would she be open to starting a non-profit sanctuary? That way she would need others to help. The financial director must be someone who is not a family member by law. A group of volunteers helping her could have some influence.
A friend of mine has made a huge commitment in turning her entire home into a sanctuary. She has many volunteers and also boards dogs to help with finances. Her website is Housewithaheart.com. Maybe you could suggest to your friend that with 30 dogs it would be in her interest to get serious about the business end of it.
If she is just a dog lover/hoarder stay on top of the situation. You can't change her mind but you can take necessary action. IMO 30 chichis with 1 person is way over the line. Good luck and please keep us posted.
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