Silent struggle: The unspoken reality of animal welfare
My friend and coworker died by suicide. A couple months later, a volunteer took her own life, and a couple years later it happened again. I wish I could tell you these were isolated incidents, but they are all too common in the animal welfare world.
When you work or volunteer in animal welfare, you see the best in humanity – compassion, generosity, and the power of good people working together to make great things happen.
Sometimes you see the worst of humanity – extreme cruelty, greed, and indifference.
The pressure is immense. There are never enough staff or volunteers. Funds run short. Foster homes and shelter beds are in short supply. Resources are limited and needs are infinite.
A homeless dog searches for food.
There are many moments of joy and satisfaction – a successful rescue, an adoption to a good home, a surprise donation that was desperately needed – but the work can be soul-crushing. In some roles, agonizing decisions need to be made every day about which animals will be euthanized or left behind because resources or space aren’t available to save them.
The work never ends. There are always more animals in need, and more animals after them. For every animal helped, thousands more are being born and bred. The numbers are unsustainable. It’s easy to lose hope.
Anger boils over when you see repeated cruelty and know nothing will be done about it. It’s a sad reality that animal cruelty crimes are rarely addressed, and when they are, the penalties are laughable. Meanwhile, those who get a sick satisfaction or financial profit from exploiting animals slink away unscathed with smirks on their faces. They know they are untouchable.
Compassion fatigue is a serious problem in animal welfare, causing depression, hopelessness, anger, and burnout. Some people walk away to save themselves. The suicide rate of those working and volunteering in animal welfare is five times higher than the general population and reportedly higher than any profession in the United States.
What can be done? Rescuers face a terrible choice. They can step back to preserve themselves. But every day off comes with the knowledge that animals are being left behind – beautiful souls who would have the chance they deserve if only someone was there to help them.
There is nothing sweeter than playing with puppies and cuddling kittens, but it’s a small part of the job. Those who devote themselves to rescuing animals are carrying unseen burdens.