Pros
The reason for the 2 stars instead of 1, is because PAWS does unparalleled work in animal welfare. If it weren’t for the toxic leadership, I would still be working there. I love the mission, I love the animals, I loved my co-workers and staff. I shared everything I wrote below with the organization themselves, so nothing should be a surprise.
Cons
There are many companies with the name PAWS associated with them. This review is specific to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society located in Lynnwood (and soon to be Snohomish) Washington. The short version is RUN FAR AWAY. Long version below. PAWS culture is highly dysfunctional at the leadership level - most specifically the Board President and CEO - but it trickles down to the rest of the board and other PAWS Directors as one can imagine. Staff is set up to fail, and in fact, are expected to fail. I have actually sat in meetings where I was asked not to involve staff because they "didn't have the competency to do" x, y or z. Why hire folks if you don't think they're capable? In general, I never felt valued or invested in. On the contrary, I quickly learned the mantra of PAWS (I was told within the first month of my arrival) that people aren't people here, they are dollar signs. Positions remain open for as long as possible to save as much money as possible, while job responsibilities are piled on to those employees left behind until they too burn out. Then the cycle starts over again. Benefits are mediocre, and the pay range is depressing. In all honesty, PAWS preys upon the altruism and good hearts of hardworking people. I came on board to PAWS energized and ready to rock. Within a couple months of my arrival, over half my entire team walked out, including my boss. Come to find out this sort of exodus happens at least once every two years. Instead of hiring for the open positions, I was tasked with performing the jobs of six (6) people for over half a year and I never got a new boss (in over 10 months of waiting). I received minimal compensation for this, and when annual reviews came around - although I had an exceptional review - I did not receive a raise because my position was going to be “reconfigured” due to the enhanced duties I was doing, so I’d be getting a new, larger salary soon… “soon.” Soon at PAWS means never. One can’t help but feel taken advantage of in these situations. All the while I've had to work against a destructive triangulated relationship between the Directors, Board and CEO. The board president is given authority to act as a CEO, inserting herself into daily operations and throwing off processes of staff. Staff is constantly missing deadlines and redirecting efforts at her whim, and if they don't do as she requests, they are bullied to the point of quitting. Indeed, I can account for two whose primary reason for quitting PAWS was, in fact, the Board President. When staff attempts to inform the “real” CEO, she turns a blind eye and blames the staff for failing. It's maddening, especially because the board president is actively working against the CEO and constantly tells staff "don't tell her this" and "do such and such behind her back." When staff tries to clue the CEO in, the staff is reprimanded by the CEO and gets bullied by the board president. The Directors can't help because they too are caught in the middle. So instead of interceding on behalf of their staff, and correcting the situation, they have to struggle with power politics and self-preservation. It's pitiful, but one can't blame them. PAWS is like ancient Rome. Everyone is trying to battle for control and the favor of whatever royalty is in power at the moment. But you can never know, as it changes literally from day to day. Everyone is out for power, everyone has a need to control. Some Directors are worse than others, to be sure. So staff struggles on, doing work for the CEO one day that gets completely dismantled by the Board President the next day. Then you work on the plan the Board President mandates of you, only to have that thrown out by the CEO. And back and forth you go, like a ping-pong ball. With no support, no clarity, nowhere to go and STAFF are be blamed for the failures. We waste countless hours of precious production time. And hence, you are set up to fail. Even though I happened to be quite successful in my job role at PAWS (even in the face of ample roadblocks), I felt as though I was deemed a "problem" all because I was desperately trying to protect my staff. There was no one else to intercede on their behalf, and I couldn't stand idly by and watch the dysfunction chew up and spit out anyone else. But I failed. And I won't be surprised when others quit in some months’ time. It's the PAWS way. Furthermore, no accomplishment is ever acknowledged, no staff morale booster is ever engaged in. Nope. At PAWS, you are expected to work yourself to death for below par compensation, an unsupportive and at times downright contrary supervisor, and a dysfunctional and highly toxic organization. My former staff has since informed me that nothing’s changed. The cycle continues. And you don’t want to be a part of a cycle that has no hope of course correction. Nothing will change until the Board and CEO change. Period.