Summary: Animal Care Specialist provide for the sanitation, care, maintenance and enrichment of animals during
their stay at Paws Humane Society. In addition, assists prospective adopters with animal selection and transition into
the home while providing exceptional customer service to both public and internal clients of Paws Humane Society.
Essential Job Functions
Animal Care
Perform daily cleaning, maintenance, and care for all animals housed in the shelter.
Maintain public shelter areas in a neat, clean, and orderly manner at all times.
Follow protocol and maintain cleanliness and efficiency of additionally assigned duties.
Provide daily feeding and watering for animals.
Provide daily exercise and enrichment for canines, including putting dogs in play groups, outdoor play yards
and walking dogs.
Monitor and stock all animal care and sanitation supplies.
Be attentive to medical and behavioral issues of animals, documenting any changes and promptly report and
monitor any concerns identified.
Preserve health and safety of shelter animals, ensuring visitors use sanitizer, close doors properly, and no
owned animals are outside of lobby areas.
Pick up and transport dogs from other shelters for intake, transport dogs/cats to veterinary appointments for
medical care outside of the scope of Paws internal resources, transport dogs/cats to other rescues when
transferred out of the shelter.
Provide daily enrichment for all animals
Customer Service
Provide excellent customer service and exercise friendly, engaging, and helpful interaction with the public, always
projecting a positive attitude and image at Paws Humane Society.
Offer guidance and assistance to the public as they enter the building, checking in periodically to ensure they receive
assistance as needed.
Become knowledgeable about Paws Humane Society, sharing our mission, available programs, and accomplishments.
Assist reception with answering the phone throughout regular business hours.
Respond timely to phone messages and emails for Intake and Adoptions.
Gratefully receive donations, and assist with completion of the donation form.
Frequently make rounds around the adoption floors, interacting with all customers
Store in-kind donations to facilitate transfer to storage at end of day.
Maintain a clean and organized work environment throughout the day.
Assist customers with checking for a microchip if they bring in a found animal.
Adoptions
Transport adoptable animals to/from offsite adoption events and offsite retail establishments.
Preserve health and safety of shelter animals, ensuring visitors use sanitizer, close doors properly, and no owned animals
are outside of lobby areas.
Become knowledgeable about the animals available for adoption whether they are in foster care or housed in the facility.
Review adoption applications and approve / deny applications in a positive, firm, and non-threatening manner.
Facilitate the matching of adopters with animals and perform adoptions using approved adoption counseling techniques;
ensure adopters are informed regarding behavioral and medical concerns.
Make follow up calls to adopters at designated intervals to enable timely intervention if any problems emerge in the
transition of the animal.
Properly utilize shelter database/software to manage information on Paws animals and keep these files up to date.
Assist with writing animal biographies and ensure kennel cards are current and displayed properly.
Attend/participate in training and staff meetings as requested.
Take photographs and videos of animals for bios and publicity purposes.
Collaborate with the marketing department to generate publicity for animals on Facebook, PAWS website, onsite, offsite,
at events, and by any other appropriate means.
Spot clean lobby area for spills or garbage throughout the day and monitor cat rooms, including scooping litter boxes as
needed.
Work closely with and provide training to volunteers.
General
Provide excellent customer service and exercise friendly, helpful interaction with the public, always projecting a
positive attitude and image at Paws Humane Society.
Possess a clear understanding of and adhere to standard operating procedures and the policies and
procedures of the Adoption and Intake Department and Paws Humane Society.
Be on time and present for scheduled shifts; maintain a neat and well-groomed appearance.
Must work efficiently, with attention to detail, and demonstrate initiative, motivation, creativity, and enthusiasm
for the position and Paws Humane Society.
Follow the directives of superiors.
Train and work closely with volunteers and community service workers.
Engage with volunteers consistently, communicating professionally and respectfully. Including communicating
gratitude to volunteers for their service and dedication as appropriate
Retail
Be familiar with offered products, know proper use and demonstrate to customers. Provide fittings, etc, to ensure
customer purchases the correct product.
Become knowledgeable about sales procedures, use of cash register and good internal control procedures related to the
handling of cash.
Reconcile sales and cash at end of day
Knowledge, Abilities, Skills and/or Qualifications Necessary to Perform Essential Job Functions:
Must have a valid driver's license and MVR record insurable by commercial insurance.
Must be physically able to perform fast-paced, physically strenuous labor that requires walking/ standing for
long periods and lifting up to 50lbs.
Must be physically and mentally able to handle animals safely and effectively
Must have the ability to speak normally and use normal or aided vision and hearing.
Must be able to utilize computer technology in a paper-light environment
Working Environment:
Indoor & Outdoor shelter environment that operates 7 days a week, including holidays
Interaction with a variety species of animals, of unknown medical history, where there is potential exposure to
zoonotic disease
Frequent exposure to common allergens and daily contact with sanitation chemicals and cleaning products
No personal animals are allowed on the dog floor premises based upon the safety recommendations of our
supervising veterinarian
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $14.00 - $15.00 per hour
Expected hours: 40 per week
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Holidays
- Monday to Friday
- Weekends as needed
Application Question(s):
- Please describe your previous animal care experience.
- Please explain your experience working/handling with dogs and cats other than your own personal pets? Also, explain your effectiveness in working in a fast paced, customer service driven environment?
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Required)
Experience:
- Animal care (other than your own pets): 2 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
