Pros
The mission is truly admirable and inspiring. The dogs are very well taken care of and loved by those who take care of them. The trainers and veterinary staff are at the top of their game and truly care about the well being and success of all the dogs. Being able to bring a personal dog to work (as long as it's well behaved and up to date on shots), free lunch (delicious 99% of the time), and a beautiful, park-like campus.
Cons
It is an incredibly frustrating place to be. Coming in you are sold on their mission, including the love, effort, and work put into fulfilling it. Once you're there however, it becomes very apparent that the Executive staff (administration) is severely disconnected from that mission. They are so focused on money, money, money that it seems like they have completely forgotten what we are all there to do. I understand completely that as a non-profit, there has to be focus on fundraising and forging and maintaining donor relationships, but that is all the CEO thinks of anymore. It's incredibly disheartening. If they tell you there are opportunities for growth, that is (almost always) a lie. The only time there is a kernel of truth to that is if your goal is to become a trainer. Even then, that can take years of getting paid close to minimum wage, working in horrible conditions, and putting up with being treated like second rate employees. Some managers are incredibly open to teaching and helping their employees learn and develop while others couldn't care less. The large majority don't care and just want someone to do all of the grunt work (and I mean all of it). Be advised that any position that is not a VP will pay you the same as if you were to work at a local fast food restaurant. When you take on a second job to help you pay your bills, they question your commitment to the organization, which is hilarious. Also, don't hold out any hope for a bonus and/or a raise that will be at all helpful. Their performance appraisal system only benefits higher-level staff, like most of their benefits. The discrepancy between salaries is baffling and honestly, sickening. Their publicly posted tax information shows 6 figure salaries for some VP's while Coordinators, Managers, Assistants, etc. are all being paid WELL below the cost of living.
