Compared to other people, I have not been involved with the
animal welfare world long. I have no
professional experience working with animals and I have only been volunteering
with animal-related organizations for a year or so. Yet, I find my experience in this relatively
new “world” to be strikingly similar to those of people who’ve advocated for
animals for years or even decades in both paid and unpaid positions.
I’m not talking about the joy of seeing a dog or cat go home
with a new, loving family. I’m also not
talking about the wonderful feeling that comes from seeing a lost pet be
reunited with his or her family. And I’m
not talking about the satisfaction that results from helping an organization to
raise money so it can continue its operations.
Instead, I’m talking about my experience with people who choose to work
with animals for a profession.
Specifically, I’m talking about my interactions with people who choose
to labor in shelters and/or rescues in exchange for an hourly wage.
I have had the pleasure to meet many people who work in
rescues and shelters during the months since I originally became involved with
animal welfare issues. While these
individuals seem to come from many different backgrounds and have just as many
different motivations for being in their chosen field, there seems to be a
pattern of behavior that is readily apparent among the majority of them.
In general, these laborers are hard-working, dedicated
individuals who genuinely care about the animals in their charge. They are the ones cleaning kennels while
everyone else is home enjoying a given holiday, for example. In general, they also seem to be willing to
share the details of their personal lives with just about anyone who will
listen.
They also seem to move around a lot, meaning they tend to
leave one organization after a relatively brief tenure only to take a position
similar to the one just vacated with another shelter or rescue. Finally, they, for the most part, are more
skilled at tending to animals than they are at communicating and interacting with
other people.
I don’t know why this is.
Maybe it’s because many of these individuals come from abusive
backgrounds. Maybe it’s because many of
these people seem to be perpetuating the cycle of abuse by being in
relationships with verbally and/or physically abusive partners. Or maybe it’s because they simply prefer
interacting with animals to dealing with other people. I just don’t know.
I do know, though, that their inability or overt refusal to
act more kindly towards their coworkers and a given shelter’s volunteers and
visitors is often counterproductive to an organization’s goal of adopting out
animals. I’m not saying that these
people are deliberately sabotaging a rescue’s attempts to find new homes for
the companion animals between its walls.
I am simply making the obvious point that potential adopters can be put
off when a worker does not acknowledge them, is not enthusiastic about their
arrival or interest in a particular animal, does not help them, or welcomes
them with a story about a personal issue unrelated to their interest in
adopting a dog or cat.
These workers do their best every day, just like the rest of
us, to do what is right for the dogs and cats in the shelter or rescue they
represent. And I’m grateful for all of
their efforts just as I’m grateful for all of the wonderful animal-related
organizations that exist in the animal welfare world. As grateful as I am, however, I’m just as
eager for these organizations to invest in the people who work for them.
If an organization decides to pay to educate its staff about
how to properly and effectively communicate and interact with people in a
professional manner, it may not only succeed in adopting out more animals, it
may also reduce its staff turnover.
Instead of criticizing charities for spending money on courses and
materials that can be used to develop its staff, we should examine the very
real, potential benefits of an organization doing just that.
I believe that the vast majority of money that a charitable
organization collects should be used to protect and preserve the animals it
cares for. But I also believe that some
funds should be dedicated to things that will help the organization operate in
a more productive manner, including communication classes.
While I have had some frustrating, if not insulting
interactions with shelter workers in the past, I believe they are the backbone
of the organizations I serve as a volunteer.
And I believe they deserve the chance to improve their skills in every
area, including communication, just as much as the workers in corporate America
do. I believe they are worth the
investment.
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