The organization for all that it does well, is not without its flaws. Ultimately, you need to decide whether or not these are things make working here worth it for you. First, do not expect training beyond the basic role to be easily accessible. The organization is notoriously bad when it comes to staff training and development, thereby creating high turnover. No matter how many emails, conversations and "one on ones" you have, further training is not a guarantee and your goals are subject to be changed at a moment's notice. It does not seem like the organization has a training framework beyond the basics. Your drive and desire to learn isn’t enough, but the criteria needed to develop is not explained, which can be frustrating. This is especially frustrating when you are struggling to grow, yet other staff are able to without any hurdle.
Second, the animals are a major pro, but also can be the biggest con. Tons of animals come in and have live outcomes, but there are still some that do not. Animals are euthanized for medical/behavior reasons, but the deciding factors are not always clear to AC/ACT staff. The hardest to handle are the behavioral decisions because they are based on criteria that isn’t always accessible. Asking questions to the behavior staff can sometimes be met with resistance and aggravation, yet supervisors don’t always have the answers. This is particularly difficult when an animal you really like or have had great experiences with is unable to be placed due to a behavior concern you never experiences. With the inability to ask question and get answers to further understand how or why decisions were made, sometimes it just appears as though the deciding factor was whether the behavior department liked an animal or not. The behavior department will go above and beyond for some animals, whereas others are signed off right away despite similar situation. When you ask for more details, or for them to reconsider, they may get defensive.
Third, work culture, training and experience will vary WIDELY among the campuses. Despite being the same organization, the campuses do not always communicate effectively. Each campus has its own quirks, and they are hard to understand if you haven’t experienced them first hand (i.e running out of space in RAC is much different than MKE). This lack of understanding and poor communication sometimes make it harder to support animals in care.
Lastly, the job is emotional, especially for someone that cares about the organization and wants to do the best that can be done. There are plenty of positive feelings, but also many sad ones. If you are the type of person that can take in and process an emotional situation immediately, then you may be ok. If you are the type of person that has questions and can't let things go and move on easily, this is not the place for you.
