One Health

As an animal shelter worker, I often felt disconnected from people outside of the field. I found it hard to talk about the work because my idea of the work at an animal shelter was sometimes different from my friends' ideas. Yes, my job was full of moments of joy, like long-term pets finding their home, and it did sometimes include cuddles and snuggles. My work was also sick pets, cleaning kennels, euthanasia and witnessing families surrender a pet. It seemed everyone wanted to hear about the highs, but the lows were too low to explain or too much for them to hear. 
 
Social work feels similar. When I finished my social work degree in 2021, I was an experienced animal shelter worker with more than 20 years in the job, but I was new to social work. I was excited to have breakthroughs with clients. I was excited to see them focus on and reach goals they had set. I knew there would be tough times, but it turned out to be much like shelter work. The hard times were hard to talk about.

This is one of the reasons I am passionate and excited about the role of social workers in animal shelters. We understand each other and we understand the work! Dr. Blackwell said it best when he described social workers in animal sheltering as, "recognizing that supporting pets means supporting the families they're bonded with."
 
My role at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, Oregon, is to support our community and to help keep people and pets together. I do that by helping our shelter staff find resources that include pets. I assist our Humane Law Enforcement team to work with local human social services. I partner with our community's social service agencies, collaborating to include pets in their planning and assessments. My favorite part of this work is supporting our staff, so they can continue their work for as long as possible, in healthy and sustainable ways. I do that with referrals to support groups, reading lists, online peer support and by holding space for their experiences in our work. I work directly with clients and staff and I work to influence my organization's policies and culture. 
 
No matter the client, my goal is to improve the life of a person, and therefore improve the life of a pet. That person might be an owner, a client at the community veterinary hospital, a social worker in outreach services or a staff member caring for our shelter pets. We are in this together and I am proud to support and be a part of animal sheltering as a social worker!

Thank you for sharing your experience, Kelly! Your work is amazing and has a huge impact on families and animal welfare professionals.

As an animal shelter worker, I often felt disconnected from people outside of the field. I found it hard to talk about the work because my idea of the work at an animal shelter was sometimes different from my friends' ideas. Yes, my job was full of moments of joy, like long-term pets finding their home, and it did sometimes include cuddles and snuggles. My work was also sick pets, cleaning kennels, euthanasia and witnessing families surrender a pet. It seemed everyone wanted to hear about the highs, but the lows were too low to explain or too much for them to hear. 
 
Social work feels similar. When I finished my social work degree in 2021, I was an experienced animal shelter worker with more than 20 years in the job, but I was new to social work. I was excited to have breakthroughs with clients. I was excited to see them focus on and reach goals they had set. I knew there would be tough times, but it turned out to be much like shelter work. The hard times were hard to talk about.

This is one of the reasons I am passionate and excited about the role of social workers in animal shelters. We understand each other and we understand the work! Dr. Blackwell said it best when he described social workers in animal sheltering as, "recognizing that supporting pets means supporting the families they're bonded with."
 
My role at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, Oregon, is to support our community and to help keep people and pets together. I do that by helping our shelter staff find resources that include pets. I assist our Humane Law Enforcement team to work with local human social services. I partner with our community's social service agencies, collaborating to include pets in their planning and assessments. My favorite part of this work is supporting our staff, so they can continue their work for as long as possible, in healthy and sustainable ways. I do that with referrals to support groups, reading lists, online peer support and by holding space for their experiences in our work. I work directly with clients and staff and I work to influence my organization's policies and culture. 
 
No matter the client, my goal is to improve the life of a person, and therefore improve the life of a pet. That person might be an owner, a client at the community veterinary hospital, a social worker in outreach services or a staff member caring for our shelter pets. We are in this together and I am proud to support and be a part of animal sheltering as a social worker!

As an animal shelter worker, I often felt disconnected from people outside of the field. I found it hard to talk about the work because my idea of the work at an animal shelter was sometimes different from my friends' ideas. Yes, my job was full of moments of joy, like long-term pets finding their home, and it did sometimes include cuddles and snuggles. My work was also sick pets, cleaning kennels, euthanasia and witnessing families surrender a pet. It seemed everyone wanted to hear about the highs, but the lows were too low to explain or too much for them to hear. 
 
Social work feels similar. When I finished my social work degree in 2021, I was an experienced animal shelter worker with more than 20 years in the job, but I was new to social work. I was excited to have breakthroughs with clients. I was excited to see them focus on and reach goals they had set. I knew there would be tough times, but it turned out to be much like shelter work. The hard times were hard to talk about.

This is one of the reasons I am passionate and excited about the role of social workers in animal shelters. We understand each other and we understand the work! Dr. Blackwell said it best when he described social workers in animal sheltering as, "recognizing that supporting pets means supporting the families they're bonded with."
 
My role at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, Oregon, is to support our community and to help keep people and pets together. I do that by helping our shelter staff find resources that include pets. I assist our Humane Law Enforcement team to work with local human social services. I partner with our community's social service agencies, collaborating to include pets in their planning and assessments. My favorite part of this work is supporting our staff, so they can continue their work for as long as possible, in healthy and sustainable ways. I do that with referrals to support groups, reading lists, online peer support and by holding space for their experiences in our work. I work directly with clients and staff and I work to influence my organization's policies and culture. 
 
No matter the client, my goal is to improve the life of a person, and therefore improve the life of a pet. That person might be an owner, a client at the community veterinary hospital, a social worker in outreach services or a staff member caring for our shelter pets. We are in this together and I am proud to support and be a part of animal sheltering as a social worker!