customer service representative

veterinary technician

attendant

animal caretaker

receptionist

Ottawa Humane Society

Everybody thinks that working at the Humane Society is basically just receiving puppy/kitten kisses and cuddles. Though we do get to do that (pretty often I must say) there are lots, tons actually, of other aspects to working here. I’m going to breakdown me review into different topics. It’s going to be: Managers/supervisors, staffing, pay, and the overall environment. I’m going to apologize in advance because this is going to be pretty lengthy. Let’s Begin!

Staffing:
The OHS can be a hectic place that is probably busier on certain days than a New York deli. There has been days where the line-ups are equivalent to a ride at Disney. Unfortunately this is due to the OHS creating management positions that really aren’t necessary and taking away the budget for staffing the employees that actually help the animals. If you don’t mind being overwhelmed some days then this is a good place for you! Hey on the positive note, you’ll always have something to do!

Another thing to add to this is if you’re looking for a full-time job, seriously go look somewhere else. Full-time is so rare and hard to get. You’ll most likely be getting 2 or 3 shifts a week.

Managers/Supervisors:
To me, the biggest Con of working here is the management. While some Managers are nice and greet you with a friendly (most times fake, while trying to remember what my name is) hello, other are just simply cold. They offer no support to their staff and will just be condescending from day one. My particular manager would rarely come out to help the team if we were overwhelmed and would just stay in their office until the end of the work day. Most times, if they did come out, it was to tell us to clean up all while we are juggling 10 clients. 

The managers really act like they are much better than you which really makes working at the OHS a not so great experience. Also not to mention that their pay is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than regular staff and supervisors. The managers do not have the animals on their minds unfortunately…it’s about the paycheque. 

Another thing that really upset myself and many other employees is when we were all asked to fill out a survey about how we feel about the work we do. During our all staff meeting the Executive Director blamed all the negative feedback from that survey on part-time employees being upset that they aren’t full-time. The issues were not addressed and therefor never resolved. The Executive Director was rarely seen outside of the management area. The only time you would see him walking around the shelter side of the OHS is when he was giving a tour to a person who donated a large sum of money. He also used his power to let his friends and people who’ve donated more than $10,000 skip the whole adoption process and just chose whatever animal they like (including puppies and kittens) while everyone else has to go through a very lengthy adoption process. 

One more thing…a lot of the animals that are chosen to go through great lengths to save (ie. Sadie Mae) are chosen by the managers by ones that will give us the most donations and publicity. A lot of animals come into the OHS really injured, but if they don’t have a good story then they are unfortunately humanely euthanized. 

In all honesty, the managers alone are enough to make me say that working here isn’t all it’s made out to be. 

Pay:
Honestly, the OHS pays their staff pretty well. I personally have zero complaints of the salary here (which is above minimum) but I do know of some veterinary technicians and assistants that weren’t very happy of their salary. I can’t really comment on these though because I am not familiar with the salary scale for those types of jobs. What I can say is that for the position I had, they pay was better than most places. Just don’t go asking for overtime….you’ll be shot down in a second.  

Overall environment:
The overall environment is great. The staff (all non-management staff, including supervisors) are really great people. Like most work places there is a bit of drama and gossip but it really isn’t all that bad. It can be an emotional job also. You have to be prepared to see all sorts of things and not let your emotions take over. It can be tough at times but it is also very rewarding.

To sum this all up. The OHS is a nice place to work but it does have some issues that need to be resolved. The managers need to start treating their employees with a bit more respect and also need to start thinking about the animals over themselves. Start looking thinking of reducing the amount of Manager Positions we have and hire more employees who actually help the animals. If you really love animals and are ok with being a part-time employee who gets stepped on by managers then you really may love working here. But as for me, I am going to give it a 2 star rating.

Over a decade of work there. Multiple different areas. In the end it dawned on me it was like we were in an abusive relationship with management. They dangle high wages and potential full time jobs over your head. They constantly remind you they pay the best and offer benefits. "No one else can offer you this kind of security". When you are broken and crying they tell you it will get better, changes are coming, they will do better but nothing ever changes, over ten years they did not change. Micro managing is their crutch. You can't go blow your nose without signing out. They will take your ideas and use them as your own and put you under a bus without a second glance. You will advance only if you can be someone's favourite, and will be pushed out if you upset one. The growth potential isn't fair as it is based on how you can talk in an interview and not years, experience or work ethic. They do not reward hard workers. They want you to quit within 2 years, high turn around is good for them= they don't have to payout raises, benefits or retirement. Not to mention they are so top heavy it feels like you have a manager for every 5 employees. The experience you get with animal handling and treatments is invaluable but you will not want to make this your home. After my 10 years+ there I am done in this industry and I hold the treatment by management as a huge reason why.

My days with the OHS: do the rounds with the head VT and Veterinarian.   

Learn about another type of shelter medicine and participated in varies different surgery: Othro, Cardio., Amputations of limbs, and spay/neuter surgeries.  Which I don't see very often at my work at the other shelters.

Some parts of the management was well organized and worked as a team (Administration).  But in some of the other sections their was a lot of confusion. 

All the staff were very kind to me and I really enjoyed working with them during my field placement.

The hardest part of my job is when losing a patient or seeing animals that were so badly abused in all different ways.  It was also hard to say good bye to everybody I worked with when my field placement ended.

The most enjoyable part of my field placement was learning so very much in surgeries that I don't see so often and learning from all the Vets and all the medical information on their surgical specialty.  That alone has no price for all all that experience and knowledge that I will bring with me in my profession.

I love working with the animals and I have such awesome co workers, but unfortunately the OHS has a horrible team of managers (with the exception of 1). 

Very gossipy work environment. I cannot confidently say I even trust my manager when it comes to anything personal. 

The management team gives massive amounts of work with really unrealistic due dates. The workload is insane so it is hard to focus on any additional projects. 

The pay is really good considering what vet clinics / pet stores pay their employees. Shifts are long and you are rarely going to leave on time during high peek season (April-early November). Over time is not always approved to you will be "volunteering" hours of your time for the sake of the animals. 

Compassion fatigue is very much a real thing. If you work here, make sure to actually use the vacation time. Managers can be a bit tough on vacation if you aren't booking off time that is not "convenient" for them.

Overall everyone seems numb to what happens there. Constantly euthanizing animals that are deemed unadoptable  even though they are easily treatable. If you clock in 1 minute late you are docked 15mins but if you clock out late at the end of your shift you aren’t paid anything extra. Always seem to be short staffed and you often struggle to get through your daily tasks. The dogs get walks but the other animals are hardly interacted with outside or feeding/cleaning/treating. Many are begging for attention.  Some staff members are rude/snarky and treat others like you know nothing. People are often talking behind each others backs. Always felt out of place working there. 

You can get a monthly discount on food from hills ($25) but you don’t really get any other discounts or perks while working there. 

Management runs the OHS with fear based techniques. You have to prove yourself before other staff are even nice to you, very cliquey, I felt like I was in High School.
The environment is toxic from the top down.
I literally have nothing good to say about working here, I had panic attacks and cried before and during work shifts and now I have PTSD from working there. 
It’s not a coincidence that they are always hiring, staff don’t last there. 
It’s so unfortunate because I think people that want to work there are generally compassionate people who want to help animals. I wish I could say good things about a humane society but I literally can’t.
Animals are helped there however, please note that this review is based on how they treat their staff and people, not about how well animals are cared for. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
-They care about their employees and their safety is top priority.
-The pay is reasonable and great overtime pays

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Animals population we received spiked and is continuing to grow steadily.
Economy's inflation causing owners to be unable to afford the increasd cost of their beloved pet.  
The increase in owners surrender is heartbreaking to witness and they don't want to part ways with their furry friend.
The owners realize rehoming will give their pet a better chance with a family that can afford the pet expenses.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture is  very friendly and chill.  


What is a typical day like for you at the company?
My day is usually always good knowing the work I do is helping countless animals and people.

Had lots of boring jobs and bad bosses. This place is great. Can be stresful and very busy lots of animals to take care of. Coworkers are fun and althoug there’s always complaining many girls are friends and have fun.  Bosses can be demanding and have high hopes for more more more work just do the best you can 
Pay great compared to same job somewhere else. and somtimes gets free food or gift cards. H-R is easy to approach with concerns. For me it’s worth the stress.  Every job is stressful. This company is good and I like it. 
Good for good employees  but also bad employees can get away with anything so your stuck working with LAZY ppl sometimes and they call in sick regularly wich is annoying - there should be rules about that and they should respect the ones that don’t call in sick. Often come in for my job and have to do another spot too because that person is absent. 


The Ottawa Humane Society is a great place to work where you feel like you are making a difference every day. 

There is truly never a boring moment, and you get to work together with people who are passionate and driven towards a common goal. 

For full-time employees, the OHS offers a competitive benefits package and a healthy amount of paid time off. 

There's also more to working at the OHS than caring for animals. You can also work to advocate for animal welfare, help pet owners in the community, and help make essential services available to those who need them most. 

It can be difficult working with animals who have been through terrible circumstances, but it's all worth it knowing you can help them get the care and shelter they need. 

I believe in the work the shelter provides for animals. My co workers are very strong individual The is no real typical in a day at the shelter as we never know what will come through the doors.  Cleaning and maintaining health care is very important and also learning of the breeds and detailed information per situation.  The most difficult part of the job is letting someone know that their beloved pet has passed on and to prepare for them to pick up the remains.  As for management, it is unfortunate that they do not recognize staff and the compassion it takes to deal with these circumstances and seem to only look out for the income they can generate and not the staff.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Customer service representative 13 salaries reported	$25.51 per hour
Veterinary technician 19 salaries reported	$27.98 per hour
Attendant 6 salaries reported	$23.11 per hour
Animal caretaker 9 salaries reported	$23.11 per hour
Receptionist 2 salaries reported	$23.11 per hour

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