Hoarding
A popular TV show has been recording the mess that hoarders make of their lives and property. Hoarding has shown us the vast collections of junk that the hoarders believe to be so valuable. When we look at our own accumulation of possessions, we may see the same tendencies, reduced to socially acceptable levels.
An identifiable type of hoarder accumulates pets. Some have lots of cats. Some have a pack of dogs. Some have both, dozens of them. Some have lots of horses.
Types of Hoarding
It may be that those who gather large numbers of animals do so because they are looking for approval. The feelings of animals who wag their tails, purr, and nuzzle in their happiness at being fed can be misconstrued as love for their feeder.
It is the closest thing to love that such people have.