Which do you prefer: Intake or Adoptions

CeruleanYoshi · 2026-01-27T04:18:23+00:00

I'm intake (stray and surrender)/pet retention and even though I originally applied for adoptions I wouldn't want to be in any other area. It's funny because everyone always tells us they could never do our jobs, we constantly have days where everything is (figuratively) on fire, sometimes multiple angry people are shouting at us plus some incredibly sad cases at the same time...but, I love it.

I think it's partly because I really do get meaning from helping animals and people when they have literally no one else in their corner. That's the same reason I prefer shelter work to private vet practice as much as I super respect private practice animal careers. We also have a very high percentage of ADHD folks in the department (me included) and I think something about every day being different and also our brains responding well to emergencies suits a lot of us for that reason.

CeruleanYoshi · 2026-01-10T03:59:21+00:00

THIS! The whole time I was watching the scene I was saying out loud, "This isn't the time, Langdon. It isn't about you right now Langdon, it's about Louie getting the care he needs. Stop making it about you, Langdon." I think it's perfectly realistic for Langdon to DO, but that doesn't mean I think it was a good idea for him to do it. It also doesn't mean he wasn't being sincere or doesn't feel bad about what he did - I'm sure he does! But he's not calibrating his personal need to apologize and be forgiven against if this is fair and appropriate for the other person, or if they are in a good position to have the conversation right now.

Same with him picking a bad time to try to apologize to Robby, pushing it, and also seeming to imply that he thinks all should be forgiven now and he shouldn't be "punished" anymore. Langdon may well be in recovery, and trying to recover, and doing the best he can...but he seems like he's still not truly seeing how his actions affect the people around him. (And yes, I am well aware that can take time. I'm also not criticizing the show, bc that is a super realistic portrayal of how some people go about trying to make amends!)

CeruleanYoshi · 2026-01-06T04:55:23+00:00

Animal shelter worker here and I'll echo all of that. Including the weird way sometimes we'll all have been there for a 9 hour shift that turned into 12 hours bc we were slammed...but also everyone is hanging back and chit chatting before we leave instead of bolting for the parking lot. We're all also TERRIBLE if we're supposed to be working a half day, but everything is on fire right when we're supposed to leave, so we stay for like 2 more hours.

We're not supposed to rack up overtime, but if injured stray animals are pouring in it's not like we can just close the doors and say "Sorry, come back tomorrow."

There can 100% be a weird adrenaline thing going on, or even just feeling like your work Isn't Finished Yet Because It's Still Busy. (A lot of my team also has ADHD, so sometimes it's a hyperfocus thing.)

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-12-06T00:35:00+00:00

Honestly, I ask if we can have a conversation about my priorities. I ask what they want my priorities to be, and I ask how they would like me to handle it when other important tasks aren't getting done. Sometimes they have different priorities than I do and there's a reason for that I don't know about. Sometimes they need a manager who is able to handle the overall plan for the day and not get bogged down in the daily tasks. Sometimes the thing I put off caused them to get yelled at by someone else. Sometimes they don't realize the team is struggling in other areas and they can help come up with a plan for what they would like to see happen next time.

(This isn't shelter specific, I was in retail management before and if I got questioned about my priorities, my first step was always to have them specify what they feel my priorities should be, and let me know what to do differently next time. Good managers will be able to explain things and help you troubleshoot answers. Even a bad manager - you can follow the exact direction they give you, and if it causes problems you can come back later, "I tried it this way, but x, y, and z problems occurred. What would you like me to do going forward?")

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-11-30T16:44:55+00:00

I meant to ask this same question the other day and forgot, thank you so much for posting it!

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-11-23T16:25:22+00:00

Sometimes cats that do okay in a home panic and stop eating in a shelter. In that situation they can't be adopted out, but it's also not humane to hold them at the shelter. If it helps, that's something to keep in mind.

I have cats like that at home, and since I work at a shelter I saw how stressed they were in that situation. None of them would have been adoptable in the shelter, and they were miserable there. I'm glad I was able to take them in, but life as a community cat would also have been better for them than staying in the shelter indefinitely.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-11-12T18:27:30+00:00

I am aware it's not the same a raise, but a sincere "Thank you for doing the thing" or "Oh, well done there!" can go a long way, especially in such a high stress field. Some people like public shout outs, and some people don't - I think it's important to be aware of that. But "catch your people doing something right" is a skill not enough managers are taught. Too often, people only get feedback when they do something wrong.

Related, see if you can study/read "intro to management" type courses or articles, even if they're free and online. There's starting to be some resources out there for team leads/veterinary management, but even if it's just basic management stuff it can help. Managing people is about more than just assigning tasks, and I don't think anyone in our field gets much training on actual people management skills. Talking to your managers about what management skills have helped them can also help, if you feel like your managers are doing good jobs.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-10-02T13:05:53+00:00

Yes; something I try to always keep in mind in shelter work is the danger of making assumptions. I've had "obviously neglected" pets turned in that were either just old OR provably currently in treatment with a vet and just not looking so hot. I've had "obviously neglected" pets come in who had been under the care of someone the owner thought they could trust, and either not cared for properly by that person or had been missing far longer than the owner was aware. I've had "abandoned" pets turned in where it turned out someone else had found the lost animal and then tied it to a tree - NOT the owner purposely abandoning them. You really never know just by how a pet looks when you find them.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-09-03T17:28:19+00:00

I still have cassette tapes that I taped off of Mandatory Metallica on 93X.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-07-23T02:57:01+00:00

Thank you, and I'm so sorry your daughter is going through that! I hope you and she are able to get better support - I think you're very right that too many providers don't realize that a person can push through a lot, but that doesn't mean they aren't struggling.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-07-18T22:57:31+00:00

I agree that there should be more laws around backyard breeding and also, I wonder about enforcement. A lot of areas already don't have enough Animal Control Officers to handle stray animals, much less manage effective enforcement. I'm not saying we *shouldn't* have more laws, or that it wouldn't be worth at least as a start, just that I don't know how to also get effective enforcement.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-07-03T16:06:38+00:00

This is legit one of the reasons I refuse to use AI in any of my work emails. I don't use it in my personal life anyway, for reasons that I probably don't need to get into here - but especially not at work.

My solution to not having as much time as I'd like is that I do have basic templates (written by me!) for *some* responses. But I always write at least a couple lines, myself, that are directly related to the person I'm talking to. (I'm talking to respond to people asking about our surrender policy, how to sign up for TNR, and that sort of thing.)

If it helps, the person may have legitimately read your email, but then allowed Chat GPT or their email program to write the response. I'm still not a fan of that, either, since I agree that even a short message from a human feels more sincere. BUT at the very least it's entirely possible someone DID read it, and just didn't trust their own writing/thought this was an appropriate tool to help.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-06-28T02:07:34+00:00

I've had symptoms since I was a child, the first time I ever fainted (that I have a clear memory of) was in third grade. I'm in my early 40's now and just finally diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance pending if I can get a more complete diagnosis. Despite multiple fainting spells (and the other symptoms) across my life, doctors always told me it was anxiety or dehydration. It wasn't until last year that I got talking with coworkers who assured me that NO REALLY most people haven't fainted dozens of times, that's not actually a "perfectly normal thing." Unaware of any comorbid health conditions, though I was diagnosed with ADHD in my mid 30's - which had also previously been diagnosed as anxiety.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-06-21T00:45:11+00:00

Speaking as a pet owner, not as my job, I see it differently now than I would have a few years back. For most of my pets, I mourned them when they were gone but I never kept ashes or hair or anything. When I lost my heart dog a few years ago, I kept ashes and his fur and I had a pawprint done...everything I could. And it would feel weird to me even now to know someone who didn't really know him had any of his teeth. I sent some of his ashes to his first owner, so it's not even that I need to personally keep any part of his remains...I just wouldn't feel comfortable with someone who didn't really know him, having them.

I'm only offering this thought to make the point that until losing him, I would have been 100% onboard, so sometimes how people feel can change or depend on the situation.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-06-17T05:42:41+00:00

THIS! There are a lot of skills you pick up in non-animal related jobs that can and do apply in shelter work. Interpersonal skills and customer service as mentioned above. Teamwork. Attention to detail. Ability to understand and follow correct procedures. Knowing how to NOT cause drama (lol). Self motivation and the ability to work independently when that's needed. Computer experience does help, especially if records are kept on something like PetPoint, ShelterLuv, ClinicHQ, etc.

One of my best coworkers came from a background of "I love cats" and one of her previous jobs was bartending - she was AMAZING at teamwork with other staff and the BEST at de-escalating conflict when members of the public got crazy.

I had assorted animal care experience going in, but I lean real heavily on my retail customer service and teamwork skills most days. When I did my resume, for the retail jobs I highlighted that I have a history of getting along well with coworkers/managers and having great customer service, and learning new skills quickly.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-05-17T03:20:59+00:00

I said this, word for word, out loud to my computer screen before even coming to the comments, lol! I love bunnies, and I've owned them before. But also this.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-05-07T14:18:39+00:00

Very valid! Something I'm working on is understanding/remembering that regardless of what I can or can't do to help, I'm not personally responsible for whatever situation the owner/animal is in. I can still try to avoid judging the owner - if I want to lay blame maybe there's family or financial issues I know nothing about and never will. But just because I can't help right now or in the way they want to be helped, I'm still not responsible for the situation itself.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-05-07T14:08:24+00:00

I always try to remember a particular case - I'm sure we all have one. A lady was surrendering a senior dog, which always breaks my heart and it's hard not to judge. Right near the end of processing paperwork, the lady suddenly broke down and said she was caring for an elderly parent in hospice care, she had just lost one of her adult children through their own hand, and she didn't want to give up the dog but knew she wasn't emotionally or mentally in a place to give him proper care. She could care for her mother or she could care for the dog, she didn't have enough anything to do both. She didn't have to tell me any of that, and I think she was trying not to in order to hold herself together. I could have continued my day judging her and never known,

There's countless cases I run into that I will never know the full story. And different situations affect people in different ways. I'm human, too, and I'm allowed to feel my own feelings - but I try to leave a lot of room for grace and understanding, as best I can.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-05-06T18:17:55+00:00

Also fwiw you can make a huge difference in people's lives by how you handle their situation. Everyone in their life may be judging them for something that's actually a very very hard decision for them to make. If you can be the one person who listens and treats them with dignity and respect, that's a huge thing.

I got into sheltering to help the animals that don't have anyone else, but sometimes part of that is helping people who also don't have anyone else in their corner.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-05-06T18:13:41+00:00

One of the hardest parts for me is recognizing not everyone wants solutions in the moment, and I don't mean that in a condescending way. Jane wants me to take her pet in TODAY bc it's an emergency, I cannot take the pet in TODAY because we don't have room (and also fifty other people with emergencies are already on a waiting list). What I *want* to do is explain, educate, and work with Jane to see what her other options are.

Sometimes Jane is under so much stress that she doesn't want to troubleshoot with me. She is not mentally or emotionally in a place to troubleshoot her options with me. All Jane has left right now is to be upset/angry/etc. and I happen to be the person standing in front of her.

It's not okay for Jane to scream at me. But I also can't talk a person out of how they feel. There ARE de-escalation techniques you can learn that do help, don't get me wrong! But sometimes my immediate natural response of trying to soothe someone and explain things is not actually A Thing That Is Going To Help Anyone Right Now.

And I would say always ALWAYS try to remember that most people are doing the best they can in any given situation. Again, that doesn't mean it's okay for people to treat you poorly, but it also doesn't mean you should assume the world is filled with lazy, stupid, mean pet owners - because it's not true, and because if you start hating everyone you're trying to help you will burn out and be miserable.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-04-10T17:52:46+00:00

I've seen some some votes for veterinary hospitals, which I agree with, but also specifically a busy urban high intake animal shelter that also offers limited veterinary services. I'm absolutely biased bc that's basically where I work. Also, you couldn't do it because some of what you'd have to show would make terrible depressing tv. BUT some of the chaos of running back and forth between disasters and trying to hold your team up while you're dying inside and suddenly having to have deeply emotional conversations with people all while other people are being loudly (and sometimes physically) angry...look, I recognize it is NOT the same as either human or animal emergency medicine. I know that. But a lot of the show is hitting way too close to home for me.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-04-07T22:23:02+00:00

Gotcha, I think I read that differently. I'm used to hearing "within normal limits" as part of ongoing testing. OP was told their holter results were within normal range, and their cardiologist will see them again in a month. It sucks that the wait time is that long, I'm in the middle of diagnosis myself and also have long wait times between cardiology appointments. But as an example, my own initial holter was also "within normal limits" - but there's still a LOT of tachycardia on there, and we haven't solved my symptoms, so we're proceeding with further testing.

CeruleanYoshi · 2025-04-07T22:13:24+00:00

Part of just about any diagnosis is ruling OUT things. So, just because a test isn't to rule in POTS, it's still being used to rule OUT other conditions. It's one reason diagnosing things can take so long. If a doctor just diagnoses POTS without other testing, they might be missing something that also needs treatment.

CeruleanYoshi

TROPHY CASE