The recent case of alleged animal cruelty in Newport has many of the characteristics of animal hoarding, according to a national expert on the subject.

"Although it may seem unusual in the community, it's the kind of story we see pretty regularly" at the national level, said Dr. Randall Lockwood, senior vice president for Anti-Cruelty Field Services with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Lockwood, a psychologist based with the ASPCA in Washington, D.C., is not involved in the local situation, but discussed animal hoarding cases in general.

"Several of these cases a day come across my desk," he said. "We estimate there probably are at least 5,000 new cases of this each year in the country."

An animal hoarder is someone who accumulates more animals than they can care for while remaining oblivious to the condition of the animals and the negative impact on the quality of life for the human beings involved, Lockwood said. It is not unusual for a hoarder's house to have animal feces in the eating or sleeping areas, he said.

"It is not just kind people who get in over their heads, which is often how this is characterized," Lockwood said.

Animal hoarders may hoard other things as well, and the condition can be linked to additional psychological disorders, Lockwood said. As in the Washington County case, there can be issues for Children or Adult Protective Services if the hoarder has children or a dependent adult living with them, he said.

Local humane officer Butch Morris said hoarding cases aren't frequent in Washington County, but authorities have seen their share of them. There are a couple of situations Morris said he is watching to make sure the individuals don't take in more animals and become a problem.

"If you go over seven or eight dogs, then I'm going to be looking hard," he said.

However, Morris noted there is no law in Ohio limiting the number of animals an individual can own. His office's concern is that the animals are properly cared for and licensed.

Lockwood said hoarders usually cannot be dealt with just by taking the animals away.

"Virtually all of them will begin again without close supervision," he said.

Lockwood said he does not necessarily advocate jail for hoarders but thinks probation conditions prohibiting them from owning more animals should be in place.