Animals and Society: Shelter Workers

My opinion did not really change. However, I did learn more about what they are handling or dealing with. I have considered shelter workers rather innocent and forced into the position. They are indeed there to ensure that the job is done. Many of them feel guilt as indicated by their actions and perspective which was shared in the text. I think that many people surrender animals for a variety of reasons. I don’t’ necessarily blame the person who is euthanizing them, but they are in the job as a position. They are willingly holding the position. For many it’s a guilty, stressful situation. People often give up companion animals and they care therefore the person conducting the euthanasia usually cares and may hold it against the person doing the surrender that they need to put the animal down.

I don’t think shelter worker would be a good job for me. It is a good job, with good pay, but its not the same as fulfilling your inner ideal. I want to help animals, for myself this would not be as helpful as other positions, although these are the positions normally available through county or city services. Government jobs are usually valued, however, this is a stressful guilt filled job. You often see these positons available which may be because of the stress and guilt making high turnover. IT could also be because more people may be surrendering animals.

Some people are homeless, some run out of money, lose jobs or lack the ability to care for an animal financially, emotionally or physically. Some animals get sick others get old, and many of these may be surrendered because the person thinks they cannot afford the animal and think that the person may be better off giving the animal up and it could potentially be saved by someone. This would certainly cause some workers to be upset. Some may see the reasoning, others may be less open in their judgment.

They may put the blame on the surrendered, this may be to help prevent emotional damage, allay guilt, and to this end there will e apologies, absolutions, justifications and excuses. People surrendering animals may blame adoption agencies for not getting homes. There are some that justify since the animal could not be kept as it was used to being, death would be more acceptable. Shelter workers blame others, often the surrendered. The surrendered often blames others too. Some blame the victim, as cited earlier about how the animal wanted to be kept, although this had not been substantiated. Sometimes animals are put down because they are not correctly potty trained, or have what the owner sees as a behavioral issue.