Pros
Incredibly satisfying work, a cause about which it is easy to be passionate, some of the most talented and compassionate junior staff I've ever met (trainers, adoption personnel, vet techs, etc). The development and special events team are incredibly talented. Great place to get experience and you can easily see the lives you save
Cons
Possibly due to the shelter administration working offsite in Georgetown, they often seem unaware of the conditions and activities in the shelter which leads to a lack of support for employees, a belief that everyone can find a way to do anything and everything if they try hard enough, and an ignorance about personnel conflicts and unsafe working conditions. Many staff feel as though the emphasis in the shelter is on fundraising rather than adoptions, despite not seeing any improvement in animal care. Employees are actively discouraged from sharing their salary/wages and often treated in a patronizing fashion by the CEO, COO, VP, and shelter directors. Salaried employees are expected to work long hours for little pay (50 is considered an "easy" week with most salaried employees averaging 60). Hourly employees are discouraged from working overtime and yet disciplined when unable to complete more work than can be safely accomplished in a normal shift. Extremely high turnover because they know people want to work for them to help animals and there are always people needing a job in DC.
