College student working at pet resort is scheduled alone on chaotic Sunday to manage over 100 dogs with no support, she breaks down in front of customer after being overworked, boss then demotes her for crying: 'You need to be stronger to work up front'

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Oct 21, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Every person has that final breaking point in which they can no longer hold back their tears. For some it's when the love interest in their favorite film gets unexpectedly sick, or when they've tripped and grazed their knee just enough that the little lump in their throat forms…and for the rest of us, it's when we're completely and utterly overwhelmed at work, and the office, or in this case, pet resort, starts to feel like it's physically crashing down around you. What one does not quite expect is to be punished for showing those emotions…

This hardworking employee works at a pet resort, and on one Sunday, is forced to look after over 75 dogs alone! After hurting her lip, being screamt at by impatient customs and ultimately being unsupported for the whole shift, she breaks down into tears in front of another customer. The stress finally consumed her, as she showcased a true glimpse of how that never-ending day was affecting her…and then? Well, and then she is called into the office by her boss after receiving a concerning call from the customer who comforted her. He claims that she was making the company look bad and demotes her to the back of 'office', stating that he needs someone stronger working out front. 

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  • In simple terms: She is being punished for crying…Is that a fair reaction? When in fact, she was completely overworked in an environment that was completely understaffed… There is only so much that any employee can take and when clients start to notice your employees fading before their eyes, prehaps it's time you spend some time in ‘the back’ and think about how well you are running your company and treating the people who sustain it. 

  • Employee crying at her desk
    via Karola G

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • boss demoted me for crying during an understaffed shift.

    i work at a pet resort. they scheduled me on sunday with 72 dogs leaving and 17 dogs arriving, plus 30 dogs arriving for daycare.
    via angelre0702
  • i worked open to close alone. i got my lip busted, screamed at by irritated customers due to long wait times, cursed at, was completely unsupported, unable to take a break, and the lead in the back told me to suck it up and she couldn't help me.
    via angelre0702
  • i agreed to be cross trained earlier last week to work up front and also in the back as a kennel attendant for more hours, and noticed they changed all my shifts to the back after sunday.
    via angelre0702
  • found out a regular customer that i know personally called advocating for me because i broke down into tears in front of her.
    via angelre0702
  • i was in pain, hadn't stopped moving for six hours, a laundry list of unfinished tasks and just broke.
    via angelre0702
  • i've worked hospitality for seven years and have never cried before. today i was pulled into a meeting and told i would be a better fit for the back because i was the face of the business and i needed to be stronger to work up front.
    via angelre0702
  • Dogs at day-care
    via gettyimages

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • i explained the reasons and he said not to take it personally, but he'd "heard the story" and it makes the business look like they're mistreating me.
    via angelre0702
  • i'm a full time college student and working up front was honestly nightmarish but the kennel shifts are godawful.
    via angelre0702
  • i only agreed to take a few for the extra cash, but it's constant physical labor and i can only pass out exhausted when i get home.
    via angelre0702
  • i don't know what to do. i've applied to other places since may. I'm just incredibly defeated and frustrated.
    via angelre0702
  • worried they're going to find another reason to fire me after this. i was written up in my first month due to a system mistake i was never shown how to fix, and for the several months following they've been on my ass like crazy.
    via angelre0702
  • Employees working at shared desk
    via Karola G

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Turbulent-Pipe-4642 This 700 your employer is mistreating you. I'm 51 and I've been let go so many times in my life I've lost count. A few times it was my fault but often it was the employer putting me in circumstances that set me up to fail. That's exactly what's happening here. I promise that you will find something else. If you do get fired I promise you it wasn't your fault. Employers like this NEVER take any responsibility for their part in these situations. You are a wonderful, caring, and
    via Turbulent-Pipe-4642
  • superkow I would be absolutely fucking livid if I knew my dogs were amongst a hundred others with what sounds like only two people to care for them all. There is no way in hell those dogs are getting looked after properly
    via superkow
  • OP angelre0702 took a while to respond to this, but you're 100% right. we're forced to give mandatory tours to any interested client and i cringe when bringing them to the yards. i hate when people drop their pets off because i know they aren't getting more than three walks a day if they don't buy a daycare package - where they aren't even safe. they delegated the care of cats to being a front desk responsibility, there's often no one watching the little dogs, and there's one person in bigs, wit
    via angelre0702
  • epcdk There's no way you're getting paid enough for that shit
    via epcdk
  • OP angelre0702 $14 an hour lol.
    via angelre0702
  • mtntrls19 "but he'd "heard the story" and it makes the business look like they're mistreating me." that's because the business IS mistreating you.... time to look for a new job if you can.
    via mtntrls19
  • FrogFlavor It makes the biz look like they're mistreating you because they ARE via heinous understaffing.
    via FrogFlavor
  • ccthekoolkid As someone who also works with dogs, this is so not okay that it immediately raises red flags for how the dogs are being handled as well.
    via ccthekoolkid
  • You should not hide a hostile workplace from clients because management enabling hostile human to human interaction is only a step away from letting hostile human to dog interactions slide.
    via ccthekoolkid

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Tags

mistreated dogs antiwork concerned employee under staffed customers reddit story dog-resort day care workplace Horrible Bosses tears overwhelmed workplace drama Reddit crying
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