Animal Care Team
Position Status: Hourly, 1.0 FTE (40 hours/week)
About Saving Grace Humane Society
Founded in 2001, Saving Grace Humane Society is dedicated to building a humane community in Douglas County through animal sheltering and protection, community services, and advocacy to strengthen the human-animal bond. We envision Douglas County as a compassionate community where animals and their people are treated with care and respect.
Visit https://savinggracehumanesociety.org/ to learn more about our animals, programs, and additional opportunities.
The Team
The Animal Care team plays a critical role in maintaining the health, welfare, and adaptability of all animals in our care. This team ensures that all animals under their care receive daily care, medical attention, and behavioral enrichment in a clean, safe, and supportive environment.
The Position
The Animal Care Team is responsible for all aspects of the daily care of shelter animals — including feeding, cleaning, administering medications, providing enrichment, walking dogs, supervising playgroups, and assisting with adoptions and returns to owners.
As the staff members who spend the most time with the animals, Animal Care Team Members have a unique opportunity to get to know each animal’s individual personality and needs, and to share those insights with potential adopters. By closely monitoring health and behavior each day, they are often the first to notice changes or concerns.
Animal Care Team Members play a key role in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and care, directly influencing how visitors and adopters experience our shelter. While staff may at times focus more heavily on a specific species at a time, all animal care team members work collaboratively to support and care for every animal in our facility, regardless of species or position.
This role also upholds and supports all board policies and organizational position statements.
Essential Responsibilities
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP & REPRESENTATION
- Consistently strives to exceed expectations; demonstrates flexibility, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances
- Maintains high ethical standards, including exhibiting behaviors and actions that embrace and align to our organization and customer service values, while treating all animals and people with dignity and respect
LEARNING & GROWTH
- Seek out continuous learning in order to gain knowledge and perspectives within the role and narrow potential skills gaps
- Demonstrates an awareness of individual personal strengths and development needs and maintains openness to feedback and growth
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Clean and disinfect all kennel and cage areas, exam areas, showing areas and other animal care areas according to procedures. Maintain cleanliness standards throughout the day
- Feed, water, medicate, vaccinate and exercise animals as required for a pet’s wellbeing
- Wash dishes, perform laundry tasks, restock animal areas with supplies, and perform other activities involved with the keeping of animals
- Work with/socialize frightened animals
- Provide enrichment for shelter animals; which includes in-kennel enrichment (listed in the standard operating procedures) and playgroup for dogs
- Assist in maintaining the accuracy of animal identification records in animal care areas. Responsible for kennel cards on all kennels at all times
- Assist in the adoption process by showing the animal, discussing adoption concerns, reviewing the pet’s history, and explaining the adoption procedures
- Monitor and report any animal health or behavioral concerns to the manager
- Once fully trained and certified, serve as a mentor to new employees working the same shift. Mentors provide daily assistance and help to bring a new hire up to speed as quickly as possible
- Assist in escorting the public through the stray areas of the shelter and the accurate completion of lost/found animal information
- Responsible for assisting the public throughout the shelter and on the phone by answering questions about the adoption or redemption process
- Assist in maintaining the order and cleanliness of the shelter facility and grounds
- May be assigned to work in the clinic or office temporarily, permanently or for cross training
- Perform other duties as assigned by Animal Care Manager
- Must be flexible with availability, must be able to work weekends and holidays
- Will assist the Foster Program Coordinator with tasks as needed and help wherever support is required
ACCOUNTABILITY
Reports Directly To: Animal Care Manager
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- High school graduate or equivalent
- Able to exercise sound judgment and maintain a professional demeanor during all interactions with the public, partner agencies, donors, staff, and volunteers
- Proficiency using the Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills - able to communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, respectful, and professional manner
- Must be able to communicate with the public in a positive and educational manner. Must have the ability to work cooperatively with people. Must have demonstrated safe working habits for self, the animals, and the public
- Ability to work well with, help guide and train new staff and volunteers within the organization
- Must be able to work late or early shifts as assigned, holidays and weekends as assigned, maintain a valid Oregon Driver License, and meet the physical requirements of the job
- Preferred: Knowledge of animal health care, animal behavior, and the humane control and handling of dogs, cats, and other animals
Work Environment Conditions & Physical Requirements
This position interacts with and collaborates with all levels of the organization, including staff, leadership, donors, general public, external vendors, volunteers, and supporters. Contact and communication are carried out through face-to-face, telephone, and digital interactions. Excellent customer service skills are essential to success. Communication must be clear, understandable, professional, and respectful in all circumstances.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Work is performed in a combination of office and medical clinic/animal shelter environments. Contact with emotional people may occur
- Occasional weekend and evening work may be required
- Animal contact and related injuries and exposure may occur
- Noise exposure varies and sometimes includes uncontrolled barking and other animal vocalizations
- Pace of work is active and demanding, requiring a high degree of multitasking and ability to adapt to changing priorities while managing concurrent projects/tasks to completion
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Occasional lifting and moving of inanimate objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Occasional pushing and pulling of carted items weighing up to 100 lbs.
- Occasional moving items above shoulder level
- Occasional use of hands and arms at or above shoulder level
- Prolonged standing, sitting, and/or stooping may occur
- Occasional climbing and bending
- Must be able to lift, move, restrain, guide, or manage an animal weighing up to 150 lbs. on a leash on an occasional basis
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together as an organization within the community. We strive for a culture of cohesion, integrity, respect, and compassion where every member contributes their perspectives and authentic selves and reaches their potential as individuals and teams. We recognize that this is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving as we grow together for each other, the animals, and the community we serve.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Saving Grace Humane Society is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group.
At-Will Employment
This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.
Starting Pay Range: $16.00 - $17.00
Pay: $15.00 - $16.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
