How to deal w/rude, sarcastic, insensitive people at an animal sanctuary I volunteer at? Volunteers don't stay

Question

They cuss at and about the animals. They are angry or annoyed most of the time. The constant negativity makes me leaving upset, not uplifted. How can I bring their negative attitudes to their attention so as to alter their behavior for the sake of all involved? I've been thinking of volunteering elsewhere. Volunteers don't stay, and I think it's because of the language and the way they talk. I am used to being blunt and to the point. Advice anyone?

Answer 1

I would attempt to talk to them as the other poster suggested. If they don't stop, you have two choices: 1) Go above them to someone in authority, give specific examples and let them know that volunteers leave because of these people 2) Say nothing and leave yourself

Answer 2

You've got to diplomatically tell them how you feel.

Sometimes good people who do difficult work become dispirited and lose sight of the contribution they are actually making towards helping cure the world's pain. I've seen this happen many time to people who work in the caring professions: exposed to more sadness than ordinary men and women are used to they can end up believing that sorrow and unhappiness is all there is and acquire a poor opinion of the world in general and humanity in particular.

I reckon the only thing you can do is to repeatedly and delicately draw their attention to the fact that everyone in the sanctuary is involved with difficult though ultimately very worthwhile work and that in reality such work is a privilege and not a chore. There's so much pain in the world. What could be a more noble enterprise for any human being than trying to help and protect other helpless living things that have no voice and cannot therefore stand up for themselves?

I would tell your co-workers that by being in the sanctuary they have accepted a position of trust as guardians of the animals under their care. The lives of their charges are in their hands. By agreeing to shoulder this responsibility no one should then think that they can then betray this trust by being abusive to other human beings or to any of the animals under the sanctuary's protection. Point out that without people like them performing this service the animals in the sanctuary would likely have no have shelter, food, water, medical treatment, kindness or love in their lives.  

Isn't it incredible?!

Heroic really!

The selfless efforts of you and your co-workers actually and practically improve the world and make it a kinder and more compassionate planet!

How many people can say that about themselves?