I do the hands-on work — restraining the scared dog, cleaning the wounds, holding an owner while their cat slips away — and I take home barely enough to cover my own rent. The compassion fatigue is real, but nobody in charge ever seems to notice it or name it. I keep showing up for the animals, and I wonder who's showing up for me.
More people experience this than they realize.
You give intensive care and hold people through loss for low pay no one acknowledges.
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.