Darby is an undergraduate student studying Professional Communication, minoring in Sales Management and Service Quality. Darby works full-time as a Veterinary Assistant at a reputable animal shelter in Toronto. She has a passion for improving the lives of animals, adventuring in the outdoors, making YouTube videos, and enjoying the company of others.
It is evident through personal experience and literary review, that shelter medicine employees experience high volumes of emotional and physical stress. The purpose of this study was to identify the forms of stress animal shelter employees experience, their ramifications, and how these hardships differ by department. The goal of this project was to define realistic organizational alternatives that can be presented to participating shelters, to improve the mental and physical wellness of their employees. Further, it was intended for this study to expand and evolve the shelter medicine research sector.
1. What aspects of shelter employee positions are most difficult and how does this differ by department?
2. Which shelter position could be argued as the most difficult or strenuous?
3. How do these stressors affect employees physically and emotionally?
4. How can shelter management teams change certain aspects of their organization to lessen employee burnout, increase employee education, and increase employee satisfaction?
This explorative study utilized quantitative strategies to collect data. A link to a close-ended anonymous survey was sent to the head veterinarian of each participating organization. The head veterinarians distributed the survey link to the managers of departments which focus on animal husbandry, training, and treatment. The chosen managers informed their staff of the survey, and the survey was then completed and sent in by individual employees. The departments of interest for this project included veterinarians, registered veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, animal care workers, animal training team members, and shelter supervisors.
Collected data uncovered that each department of an animal shelter indeed experiences different stressors and therefore, has specific needs. Employees experience certain obstacles because of the amount/style of training they receive, the job duties they complete, and the individuals they work with and work for. Some departments may benefit from managerial training for leaders, others may benefit from mental health coaching for all staff members, others may benefit from client service training for front-line employees. It is essential that shelter management teams understand and incorporate the unique nature of departmental challenges into accommodation and training strategies.
See below for graphical representations of results.
Credits:
Created with images by Thomas Park - "untitled image" • Zachary Casler - "Luna the blue pit" • Bonnie Kittle - "untitled image" • NeONBRAND - "untitled image" • Raul Varzar - "untitled image" • Timothy Dykes - "untitled image" • The Lucky Neko - "untitled image"