Pros
Inspiring mission, consistently positive results, nice facilities.
Cons
I want to draw attention to something that happened in 2025 that the Board should have stepped in to prevent and didn't: an insulting rise in employee health insurance premiums. Our benefits renew in May so in April 2025 we all came in for an All Staff meeting where they said premiums were rising. A lot. The per-paycheck cost for the lowest-priced plan covering only the employee rose 590%. Every deductible rose by $500. Just like that we all got a pay cut: my costs rose about $3,300/year. This resulted in a huge drop in morale that never came back. I personally know employees who quit or were forced to take on second jobs. I cried after the meeting knowing I was already living paycheck to paycheck and didn't have time for a second job. We soon realized we were paying more for less coverage. Personally I was forced to cut back on my mental health. My psychiatrist rose from $28 to $260 and my therapist from $23 to $130. Per visit. Yes, the rise in healthcare costs was a nationwide trend but most companies did NOT transfer these to the employee. In Dogs Inc’s case the following reasons made the CEO’s reasoning for Dogs Inc NOT absorbing those costs insulting: 1. We raised more than enough to cover the operating budget for 2025. 2. In the CEO’s words our 2024 holiday fundraiser was the most successful we'd ever had. 3. In 2024 the CEO gave a presentation at an All Staff meeting where he outlined his plans to invest more in infrastructure. This included a slide on how he hoped to attract and retain world-class talent by raising salaries to the industry standard and increasing morale. 4. 2024 was a year of historic growth and spending. Dogs Inc changed its name, launched a nationwide rebranding, funded and marketed multiple animated commercials and bought everyone new uniforms and name tags. There was a new sign at the entrance, the landscaping is impeccable and started building a new location in Lakewood Ranch. In summary four months after the most successful fundraising campaign in our history we all got a pay cut. Four months after the closing of a historic year they showed us we're replacable. We never got above typical raises to make up the difference and no bonus to raise morale. In fact they didn't even do the traditional Aldi gift card at Christmas 2025 like every previous year. It's funny to think we all used to complain how little it was. Insurance premiums decreased a little in 2026 but coverage remains too low since I still can’t afford the therapy I need for my mental health: $130/visit is now $120. Still not anywhere near $23 it used to be. For a company that prides itself on giving hope and independence to the blind, helping veterans with PTSD and military families with their grief it’s ironic that they took away their employees's ability to manage their own mental health. For a company with a huge operating budget you can't find a little extra so we don't have to take second jobs? I hope the Board reads this and fixes for next year.
