Animal hoarding is directly associated with impaired human and animal health. In this study, we describe the tragic end of a household fire involving an individual who was hoarding animals. In 2013, the city fire department and the Animal Protection Department of Curitiba were called to respond to a house fire at the residence of an elderly woman with around 70–80 dogs. She had a long-standing diagnosis of animal hoarding behavior and was involved in multiple ongoing judicial processes for animal neglect and cruelty. According to witnesses, the most likely cause of the fire was the lighting of candles indoors, as electricity and water had been cut off on the premises for at least 3 years. A woman in her late 60s fled the scene, but 43 dogs were found dead due to asphyxiation and fire in the main bedroom, with another seven dead dogs found beneath the house. A total of 29 dogs were recaptured after they escaped into the streets during the fire. Despite their infrequency, incidents of household fires involving animal hoarding require increased attention from public health authorities to prevent them effectively. The consequences and implications of these incidents are discussed, and a protocol for preventive strategies is proposed.
Kmetiuk et al. (2026) studied this question.