Pros
Despite the negatives, there were some positives to the role. Many of the staff members were genuinely kind, supportive, and passionate about helping the dogs, which made difficult days easier to get through. The most rewarding part of the job was seeing dogs find their forever homes. Watching a dog that had been in kennels finally get rehomed and start a new chapter was incredibly satisfying and reminded me why the work is so important. I also enjoyed spending so much time with the dogs. Being outdoors and walking them throughout the day was a real highlight, and building relationships with the dogs in your care could be very rewarding. For anyone who loves dogs, those moments were often the best part of the job.
Cons
My experience working at Dogs Trust was unfortunately very disappointing. The biggest issue was the lack of consistency from management. Decisions were constantly changing, and it often felt like one rule applied one day and a different rule applied the next. There seemed to be very little communication between management, which created confusion and frustration for staff. The onboarding process for new employees was particularly poor. Communication was lacking from the start, and there often appeared to be uncertainty about procedures and expectations. Rather than feeling supported as a new starter, I frequently felt left to figure things out for myself. The role was also far more physically and mentally demanding than I had been led to expect. While working with dogs can be incredibly rewarding, the reality of the job was much tougher than was communicated during recruitment. The emotional impact, particularly surrounding the number of dogs that were put to sleep, was significant and something I feel prospective employees should be made more aware of before joining. Another concern was the workplace culture. Some managers spoke to staff in a way that felt patronising and dismissive, creating an environment that often felt more like a school than a professional workplace. This made it difficult to feel respected and valued as an employee. While the organisation's mission is admirable, my experience was that poor management, inconsistent policies, inadequate training, and a lack of clear communication made what was already a challenging role far more difficult than it needed to be.
