• 7/31/25

Compassion Fatigue in Animal Shelters with Marla Andrews, M.Ed.

Summary

Compassion Fatigue in Animal Sheltering

Laurie introduces the Lawless Off Leash series, which aims to provide accessible resources on animal sheltering topics with expert guests. She welcomes Marla Andrews as the speaker for this session on compassion fatigue. Laurie explains the format, encouraging participants to stay muted but submit questions through the chat. The session is being recorded for those who cannot attend live.

Animal Welfare Career Journey

Marla shares her extensive background in animal welfare, starting from her childhood involvement with the Fund for Animals. She pursued a biology degree and worked in various animal-related fields, including veterinary practices, seal pup rescue, and animal sheltering. Marla later focused on humane education and earned a master's degree, studying compassion fatigue in animal caregivers. Currently, she works with animal caregivers and individuals experiencing pet loss, combining her experience in grief support and animal welfare.

Preventing Compassion Fatigue in Caregivers

Marla defines compassion fatigue as the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of caring for others, often through experiences of stress or trauma. She explains that it affects caregivers who don't adequately care for themselves or allow time to replenish their emotional resources. Marla emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and practicing self-care to prevent burnout, especially for animal caregivers who often feel a strong calling to their work. She suggests that leaders in animal care organizations should be aware of staff taking on too many responsibilities and help them maintain a healthy work-life balance to prevent burnout and ensure long-term effectiveness in their roles.

Addressing Compassion Fatigue in Shelters

Marla discusses strategies for management to address compassion fatigue in animal shelters. She emphasizes the importance of regular conversations about the issue, both in groups and individually. Marla suggests that shelters have adapted by reducing open hours to provide respite for caregivers. She also highlights the need for education on compassion fatigue and developing a mindset that shelter workers are part of the solution, not the problem. Marla stresses the importance of effective communication within organizations, including separating management from staff during discussions to encourage open sharing of issues.

Addressing Compassion Fatigue in Shelters

Marla and Laurie discuss strategies for addressing compassion fatigue and grief in animal shelters. They suggest regular breakout sessions to talk about difficult cases, creating memorial spaces, and using bulletin boards for staff to express their feelings. Laurie shares an idea from her deployment experience of making multiple paw prints for each animal as keepsakes. Marla emphasizes the importance of acknowledging losses while also celebrating successes, and recognizing the herculean efforts of frontline shelter workers despite the challenges they face.

Compassion Fatigue in Animal Care

Marla discusses compassion fatigue in animal shelter workers and provides strategies for addressing it. She recommends having frank conversations with supervisors about needing to step back or reduce hours to maintain mental health. Marla emphasizes the importance of self-care outside of work, including mindfulness practices, cultivating optimism, and engaging in creative activities. She also suggests seeking additional support through therapists or compassion fatigue specialists if needed. Marla encourages animal caregivers to recognize the value of their work while also setting boundaries and caring for themselves.

About Marla

Marla Andrews, M.Ed., is the founder of Humane Hearts, a compassionate practice supporting animal welfare professionals through the challenges of emotionally demanding work. She holds an M.Ed. in Humane Education and Animal Welfare from Lesley University, with additional coursework from the Institute for Humane Education and the University of Edinburgh. She also holds a B.S. in Biology from Northeastern University.

Marla is a Certified Pet-Loss Grief Support Specialist and Pet Chaplain, and has worked in nearly every corner of the animal world — from farm sanctuaries and aquariums to shelters, rescues, veterinary hospitals, and humane education programs. For over 17 years, she helped build the MSPCA’s Humane Education Programs, receiving the 2009 MSPCA Animal Hero of the Year Award alongside her beloved rescue pit bull and Education Dog, Comet.

Known for her heartfelt empathy, grounded wisdom, and disarming sense of humor, Marla helps bring light to even the heaviest topics. Her work supports those who dedicate their lives to animals — and ensures they are cared for in return.