veterinary assistant

customer service representative

animal technician

instructor

veterinary technician

Helen Woodward Animal Center

PROS:
Great place for career development, but poor compensation. The bar for performance is set very high and always creeping higher without comparative adjustments in compensation. Coworkers are amazing! Always willing to lend a hand to come up with a solution to seemingly insurmountable tasks. The camaraderie and support of management and supervisors on the ground floor keep things running smoothly and bearably in this fast paced environment. Benefits are wonderful! Full health and dental and minimal payments for vision. If you're at the beginning of your career and are looking to get your foot in the door/earn experience working in animal rescue, this is a wonderful place to do it. 

*Special note for those of you interested in veterinary medicine*
The restrictions regarding what medical technicians are allowed to do with owned animals versus Adoptable Animals is vast. If you're interested in a career in veterinary medicine and enjoy a fast paced work environment, consider working at an animal Shelter. You'll gain hands-on experience with things that you wouldn't be allowed to do elsewhere.

CONS: 
I would not recommend staying with this company for long-and I think that's the company leaders like it. They pay low and view staff as dispensable regardless of merit. Taking a sick day or holiday is simply not possible in some departments because the staffing doesn't exist to keep things running. Emotional fatigue and burn-out is high. The altruistic nature of the staff along with a desire not to leave coworkers hanging results in an environment in which employees have a sense of obligation to come to work when they're ill or in the wake of a personal loss for fear of things falling apart. Entry level Administration positions pay more than supervisor positions on the ground floor though administrative employees maintain the ability to leave at noon for lunch every day with all of their coworkers and leave on time. Comparatively, employees on the ground level are loaded with so much responsibility that working lunches and daily overtime are very often a requirement to  accomplish just enough to keep things afloat.

Volunteering at Helen Woodward Animal Center was one of the best times of my life. For one week during the summer, I worked Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM. There was hot weather, I was on my feet most of the time, and some of the campers had issues that I had to resolve. But even through these inconveniences, I maintained a cheerful attitude and I did what was asked of me with no complaints. Honestly, I loved the work. Being in that environment was the most content I have ever felt. Even something as simple as cutting paper and yarn for an hour could bring me joy simply because I knew why I was there. I was there to gain experience working, both in general and specifically with children. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher someday which is why I chose to volunteer at this summer camp. I got along impeccably with the adult teacher in charge of my group as well as with my fellow junior volunteers. The best thing about my time at Helen Woodward was simply getting experience with working with children. I love children. I love watching their faces light up as they learn new things, assisting them when they are having trouble, resolving conflicts between them, encouraging them, playing games with them, and almost anything else. I even do well when dealing with a problematic child. I enjoy finding solutions to problems, especially solutions break up fights and build friendships. This fact about me is also applicable to any challenge I face in my life, not just relating to children. This job also gave me preparation for situations in which I may be looked to as a leader. Many of the children would come to me for either assistance or playing rather than the other teachers and volunteers. I have also been told by my peers that I am a good tutor and that, though I wouldn't necessarily opt to be the leader, I am up to the task and I do a fine job.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Fulfillment in giving back to the community and animals. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Expected work load, work politics, missing diversity and inclusion, and power dynamics within the organization that create a false sense of belonging. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Generally good. Other co-workers are nice who are on the same level as you. All uppers have a sense of power over those beneath them. If there is an issue with another department, they’ll go to your manager before addressing you directly. 
Write-ups for honest mistakes are common. 
Blanket, feel-good information is shared. Details are withheld unless you’re in the right position. Poor attempts to create a sense of unity within the organization. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Non-flexible hours. Strict enforcement of all rules. If you do something wrong, they’ll go directly to your supervisor instead of kindly asking questions or resolving the issue person to person first. 
Don’t bring new ideas. They don’t like change or out the box thinking.

I worked here for a few years, I loved it. Started off great, then management changed. Toxic and inappropriate behaviors, unfair treatment of employees, shady business practices, dishonesty, and inexperienced. the only thing that made it worth it were the animals, the other people in medical (who deserve way better than they are getting) and the ACT's. Would not reccommend working here unless you plan to get some experience and then move on somewhere else. 
They didn't give me my yearly review and 2% raise, they kept putting it off and then let me go without explaining why. I shed literal blood sweat and tears for this place and they just toss you out like you were nothing. If you do decide to work here, there is no job security, it's only a matter of time before they fire you. I've seen several great employees get fired because management is too controlling. Constant stepping on toes and micro management. A manager who has no experience in the medical field but acts like they know better than the Veterinanrian.

I worked extremely hard here for a couple of months before getting terminated without reason. I was given certain feedback and I always acted on it and improved on my performance. One day HR lied to me and told me I needed to pick up my physical check due to an issue with direct deposit. Nope, they fired me as soon as I got there and when I asked why they refused to tell me. I loved the job I had and would have continued to work hard in order to work with the animals. They make you do tons of physical labor before working with any animals, but in my case I was fired without warning and before my 90 days was over. A very conservative company also, upper management and CEO are older with older values. Favoritism is also rampant, if one person doesn’t like you, and they are friends with the boss, you’re gone. And that’s what I believe happened to me but again they refused to disclose any information. 

This place prides itself on "people helping animals, and animals helping people," but couldn't care less about "people helping people." I never felt supported and never got properly set up for success. Their "systems" are all over the place, outdated, and disorganized, and if you make a suggestion to improve or change it, it's a big deal. You get encouraged to ask for help and then get shamed for asking. Management is constantly stressed and then pour that stress onto you. When asking what I could do to improve my personal performance, I got no direct answer, I then offered suggestions to improve workplace conditions and what would specifically help me do better, and instead of taking them into consideration or applying them, I was terminated. They are also so worried about the opinions of their "boujee" customers. Overall uncomfortable environment. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU.

Overall, Helen Woodard Animal Center is a fantastic place to work. Many people within the company have been there for YEARS, or move on the amazing positions outside the organization due to the skills and experiences with Helen Woodward Animal Center. Overall, they pay well considering they are a non-profit. Although I am happy in my position, I have worked for this organization for over 4 years and have been unable to move to a full-time or supervisory role. This is unfortunate because I have more experiences than many of my coworkers who have been moved into those roles have on a resume. In general, I am excited to work with children and teach humane education to the community at large.

If there weren't any animals it would be hard to think of good things that stood out about this job. Many employees are compensated poorly for all that is expected of them. Managers have a record of not listening to their employee's needs. That is why there are many people that leave once they realize that they're never going to be fairly compensated for all the responsibilities thrown onto them. The managers really don't prioritize the animals, which is shown by having their animal care techs focus on giving customers "shows" AKA tours to see and meet the animals, when there are dogs waiting hours to be walked, animals waiting to be fed, and feces in their kennels needing to be picked up. It really ruins the sense of purpose that you're supposed to feel at this place 

The hardest part of the job is interfacing with the Administrative staff. HR is not approachable, and there is no forum for employee suggestions or grievances. Working with other part-time/lower-level employees is great, there is a lot of bonding and good people there. The animals are wonderful and you are getting to send them to good homes. Often if you are good at your job, instead of being paid more, you are given more responsibilities. Raises are minimal and managers are encouraged/told to give "sufficient" annual reviews to "encourage improvement" and avoid rewarding success. Raises are minimal if they are given at all. 

If you live animals, than this is the place for you to work! However, if you want to be fairly compensated, appreciated, and valued then this is not the place for you. Management believes its employees are a dime a dozen and the turn over at this place is insane. They are often understaffed, stressed, overworked and frustrated. Making money takes priority over the care of the animals and management is unwilling to compromise with this discrepancy. Great managers and employees have left this place due to the way its run and it’s a shame. This shelter has the potential to be something truly special and amazing but it is run by greedy leaders that have no experience in animal welfare. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Veterinary assistant 5 salaries reported	$22.10 per hour
Customer service representative 1 salary reported	$18.75 per hour
Animal technician 18 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour
Instructor 3 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour
Veterinary technician 3 salaries reported	$35.00 per hour

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