Burnout & Compassion Fatigue in Animal Shelter Staff

Animal shelter staff are some of the most empathetic, kind, and compassionate people out there. They have a drive to do good, are caregiving by nature, and have a strong sense of justice that pushes them to work with one of the world’s most vulnerable and helpless populations.

On the flip side, this compassionate nature often leaves animal shelter staff vulnerable to pervasive burnout and compassion fatigue. In fact, according to leading traumatologist J. Eric Gentry, most shelter staff enter the animal caring profession already displaying symptoms of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue and burnout are a chronic symptom of the underfunded, overworked, and underappreciated animal welfare industry. Let’s talk about what compassion fatigue is, how it can be exacerbated by burnout, and some first steps toward combating both issues.

Compassion Fatigue vs. Burnout

Burnout and compassion fatigue are often used interchangeably, but they have some important distinctions. The most essential difference between the two? Exposure to trauma. It’s important to understand how compassion fatigue is unique to caring professions and how burnout plays a role in workplace exhaustion.

Compassion Fatigue

Also known as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue is common to those who work in helping professions, like child welfare, nursing, and (you guessed it) animal sheltering. A type of secondary trauma caused by peripheral exposure to suffering and adversity, compassion fatigue can have profound effects on shelter workers’ mental health.

The strains of animal care work are unique. While human-centered helping professions have their own unique struggles, animal shelter staff often find themselves in the predicament of tending to animals who can’t articulate their needs, adding an extra layer of emotional labor.

Animal shelter staff and volunteers spend hours bonding with the dogs and cats in their care, giving so much of themselves to animals whose futures are uncertian.

What’s more, many shelter workers routinely make impossible decisions, like whether to euthanize an animal. The results of studies examining the effects of euthanasia found that euthanasia-related strain is prevalent among shelter employees, with negative impacts to employee well-being that particularly impact employees responsible for performing euthanasia.

The Effects of Compassion Fatigue

The impacts of compassion fatigue are far-reaching, ranging from high turnover to severe mental health struggles.  In a survey of veterinary professionals in the US, 9% suffered from high levels of psychological distress, 31% struggled with depressive episodes, and 17% experienced suicidal ideation. Furthermore, American animal rescue workers have a suicide rate of 5.3 in 1 million, a rate shared only by firefighters and law enforcement. Addressing compassion fatigue isn’t optional; it’s a life-or-death issue for the humans working in shelters and the animals who depend on them.

An important first step is to recognize and intervene when you see signs of compassion fatigue. Shelter staff struggling with compassion fatigue often report feelings of:

• Powerlessness

• Anxiety

• Guilt

• Anger

• Numbness

• Depression

• Hypersensitivity

• Depletion

In the workplace, these feelings can sometimes look like lowered empathy, over-reactions to seemingly small things, decreased commitment to work, and increased irritability.

Burnout

The effects of compassion fatigue are often compounded by work-related burnout, another issue that is at an all-time high in animal shelters. Where compassion fatigue is caused by exposure to trauma, burnout can be experienced in any industry and is often caused by administrative issues and unrealistic workplace expectations. Compassion fatigue may seem like an inevitability in caring professions, burnout is not. Recognizing these common causes of burnout can help shelter administrators to prevent unnecessary staff strain:

• Unreasonable expectations: Inadequate training, poor supervision, and an overwhelming workload sets employees up for failure. Be sure to provide your employees with the proper support and set realistic expectations. 

• Lack of clarity: Shelters can be chaotic, which could lead to confusion about roles, responsibility, and expectations. Make sure staff have plenty of clarity about their roles and the roles of their coworkers. 

• Poor workplace culture: Culture is important. If you’re not intentional about your workplace culture, it could lead to negative relationships between staff and management, poor work-life balance, and a whole host of other issues.

With the right support, staff can balance the natural strains of animal sheltering work with the joys of working to help animals in need.

Combating Compassion Fatigue

So, you want to combat compassion fatigue in your shelter, but you’re not sure where to start? Just by taking the time to start learning about this complex, multi-faceted issue, you’ve taken an important first step. That said, this article only scrapes the surface. Utilize resources from the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, enroll in Vancouver Humane Society’s free compassion fatigue prevention course, or check out Martha Teater and John Ludgate’s Compassion Fatigue Workbook to continue educating yourself.

If you’re looking for more hands-on support, you might consider working with a shelter behavior consultant. After years of working in the animal sheltering space, Laurie Lawless founded Shelter Behavior Integrations (SBI) to help address the pervasive issues plaguing our animal shelters. She’s got the knowledge, experience, and dedication to help you transform your shelter’s culture. Check out the SBI website to learn more about Laurie, access our educational resources, and read our blogs!