Job Title: Foster Coordinator
Reports To: Director of Life Saving Initiatives
Job Type: Part Time
Pay: starting at $15.50
Location: SAPA! Administrative Office, SAPA! Building One at Animal Care Services as well as
travel to other locations and events as needed
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Organizational Overview: San Antonio Pets Alive! (SAPA!) is a private nonprofit organization that saves the lives of dogs and cats that find themselves at San Antonio Animal Care Services by no fault of their own. Last year SAPA! saved the lives of more than 4,000 dogs and cats by finding them loving adoptive families, placing them in foster homes, and transporting them to other communities across the country. In addition, SAPA! provides necessary medical services to ensure each pet is healthy and happy.
Our Core Values: San Antonio Pets Alive’s! core values deeply held beliefs that represent our highest priorities and fundamental driving forces. They define our passionate belief in what we do and how we choose to resonate with and appeal to the community, adopters, fosters, and volunteers.
- Lifesaving. We believe that life is precious. We work tirelessly with compassion, care, and love to save the lives of dogs and cats and to do what’s best for the animals, adopters and fosters.
- Integrity. We believe integrity drives us to be honest and responsible in our actions and responsible in our actions and communications with our team and the general public.
- Stewardship. We are caretakers of the dogs and cats we save. Our stewardship also extends to the gifts we receive, our reputation and the goodwill of our community.
- Excellence. We strive for excellence and efficiency in every program we implement, ensuring the best care for the dogs and cats we save and the families who love and adopt them.
- Respect. We treat all animals and people with dignity and kindness.
Summary of Position:
Position Responsibilities: The following statements describe the essential functions of this job and its scope of responsibility but should not be considered a complete list of work requirements.
The Foster Coordinator plays a critical role in SAPA!’s lifesaving mission by managing the intake and placement of at-risk animals into foster care. This is a demanding and highly rewarding position that requires quick thinking, exceptional organizational skills, and the ability to juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines. The ideal candidate is a proactive, resilient problem solver who thrives in a fast-paced setting and is deeply committed to saving animal lives.
Essential Job Duties- Include but are not limited to the following:
- Efficiently and effectively manage the flow of puppies, kittens, dogs and cats from the euthanasia list and from SAPA!'s on-site locations into foster, rescue, or adopter homes and pushing for an increase of the live release rate.
- Proactively market animals in need of foster, adoption, or rescue placement by creating compelling social media posts in the foster forum, email pleas, and outreach materials.
- Provide exceptional, timely communication and support to fosters via phone, email, and in-person interactions, maintaining professionalism even under pressure.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with fosters, adopters, and rescue partners to expand SAPA!'s foster network and maximize animal placements.
- Oversee the intake, care, and movement of animals into foster care, ensuring all medical and behavioral needs are addressed prior to placement.
- Respond urgently to foster emergencies, including arranging alternative placements or providing resources to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the animal.
- Ensure thorough and accurate record-keeping in Shelterluv and other databases to track animal movement and foster engagements.
- Regularly recruit and onboard new fosters to meet the growing needs of SAPA!'s lifesaving programs.
- Attend and support adoption events, community outreach initiatives, and foster recruitment activities as needed.
- Provide hands-on care for animals awaiting foster placement, ensuring their health and comfort while at SAPA! locations.
- Collaborate across departments to streamline foster placements and promote the adoption of animals in foster care.
- Respond in extraordinary instances of high intake or population by recruiting enough foster homes to meet the high demand.
- Completing Pass/Intakes/OS from the public for SAPA! intake.
- Other duties as assigned to support the overall mission of SAPA!.
QUALIFICATIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Passion for lifesaving work and a deep commitment to animal welfare.
- Ability to thrive in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment with constantly shifting priorities.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask efficiently.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Positive, team-oriented attitude with a strong focus on collaboration and problem solving.
- Ability to lift 50 lbs and perform physically demanding tasks, including bending, stooping, and standing for long periods.
- Comfortable working in loud, busy environments with frequent distractions.
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
- Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
Pay: From $15.50 per hour
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
