“I Could Never Do That” — Changing the Story About Animal Shelters

It happens all the time. This morning at my local coffee shop, the barista asked me what I do for work. I told her I work for an animal shelter. Without missing a beat, she said, “Oh, I could never do that. It’s way too sad there.”

I smiled, but inside I felt that familiar tug. Not of sadness, but frustration. Not at her, but at the story we’ve let the public believe about who we are and what we do.

The truth is, working for an animal shelter isn’t sad. It’s meaningful. It’s powerful. It’s the best damn job I’ve ever had.

The Perception Problem

Most people imagine animal shelters as places full of heartbreak, rows of sad faces behind kennels, cold floors, and tears. That story might have been true a decade ago, but it’s not what modern animal sheltering looks like anymore.

Today, animal shelters are innovation hubs, community resource centers, and second-chance factories. They’re staffed by people who show up every day ready to change lives, both human and animal. We aren’t the “dog pound.” We’re problem solvers, educators, counselors, nurses, and detectives.

We’re the ones who answer calls at 2 AM to save a stray on the side of the highway. The ones who comfort a scared dog seeing kindness for the first time. The ones who watch an adopter’s face light up when they realize they’ve just met their new best friend.

If you’ve never stood in the lobby of a shelter on a busy Saturday afternoon and heard the sound of a family cheering as their newly adopted dog jumps into the car, you’ve never really seen what we do.

The Reality of the Work

Is it emotional? Absolutely. But that emotion isn’t just sorrow. It’s pride, relief, joy, and triumph. It’s watching an underweight dog gain trust and health. It’s seeing a kitten who came in sick and weak leave in the arms of a child who will love it forever.

It’s also teamwork at its best. Shelters run on grit and heart. We lean on each other through hard days, celebrate the wins, and keep moving forward. You won’t find a more dedicated group of people than those in animal welfare.

Every staff member, from the field officer to the volunteer to the vet tech, plays a part in building hope. Every kennel cleaned, every dog walked, every microchip scanned, every adoption processed is part of a larger mission.

Changing the Narrative

We need to stop letting “I could never do that” be the default reaction. We need to show people the joy, not just the struggle.

If the public saw what I see, dogs sprinting in play yards, cats stretching in sunbeams, volunteers laughing as they walk a goofy hound, they’d understand.

This is not a sad place. It’s a hopeful one. At ACPS, we never stray from hope.

Yes, there are tough days. But the good far outweighs the bad. The work is hard, but it’s honest, important work. And if more people saw shelters for what they truly are, places full of compassion, resilience, and love, maybe the next time someone asks what I do, they’ll say something different.

Maybe they’ll say, “That’s amazing. I wish I could do that too.”