Adoption Counselor Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Job Title:Pet Adoption Associate
Department:Shelter - 02
Job Classification:Full-Time or Part-Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt Position
Job Relationships: Reports to Pet Adoption Supervisor(s). Provides support and training to assigned volunteers

Positions may be either full-time or part-time. Pet Adoption Associates represent NOCO Humane in a professional and courteous manner while providing quality client services at the Adoption Campus's front desk, and are responsible for the cleaning and care of adoptable shelter animals.This position involves a significant amount of physical laborand direct animal interaction as well as learning safe animal handling, a wide range of operating procedures and more. Animals in our care at the Adoption Campus include dogs, cats, small mammals, and more. Work schedules will include at least one weekend day shift as well as holiday, overtime and night work as required. Shifts vary and can cover 7:30am - 7:30pm Monday-Friday and 7:30AM - 5:30PM Saturday-Sunday and are subject to change.

NOCO Humane is an independent nonprofit working to further the compassionate, safe, and responsible relationship between animals and people.NOCO Humane is a trusted, responsive community leader, providing programs and services essential to the high quality of life for animals and people in northern Colorado

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Adoption Duties

• Provides quality in-person and telephone client services
• Educates clients on responsible animal guardianship, animal care and local ordinances
• Conducts animal adoption counseling, has a good understanding of evaluations, medical history and any other paperwork that needs to be covered with client
• Completes animal adoptions and adoption holds, ensuring all transaction payments, paperwork and computer records are complete and accurate
• Conducts post adoption follow up calls with clients
• Photographs animals

Animal Care Duties

• Performs daily animal feeding and cleaning of kennels, cages, and public areas while following disease protocols to ensure a safe, healthy environment for the adoptable animals in our care
• Handles a variety of adoptable domestic animals of varying degrees of temperament and medical status. Shelter animals include dogs, cats, small mammals, and more
• Maintains a constant awareness of safety and performs duties in a manner that maximizes personal safety and that of others and the adoptable animals, follows safety procedures, reports situations that may lead to accidents of injuries, reports on-the-job injuries immediately
• Completes daily cleaning tasks, including but not limited to laundry, dishes, equipment cleaning, etc.
• Restocks supplies in animal areas
• Adheres to the standards of professional conduct and communicates in a professional manner with staff, clients, management and volunteers

General Duties:

• Solicits donations from clients and assists with in-kind donations
• Completes daily record keeping, scanning and filing tasks
• Enters information into Chameleon software or other shelter software
• Provides support to team members, supervisors and volunteers
• Ensures that morning/closing checklists are done accurately and completed as assigned

• Cross-trains in other shelter departments
• May provide transportation of shelter animals as needed
• Other duties as assigned

May 2025

Job Qualifications:

Education/Experience:

• Minimum of high school diploma or GED
• Minimum of 6 months of customer service work experience in a fast-paced environment with a variety of client needs required.
• Previous animal welfare work and handling experience is a plus.
• Bilingual English/Spanish reading, writing, speaking and understanding is a plus and includes a wage premium.

Knowledge: Knowledge of animal breed, behavior, and handling; Must become animal handling certified; Knowledge of Chameleon or associated shelter software a plus; Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Access and Excel)

Skills/Abilities:

• Effective and professional verbal communication skills for in person and telephone contact; Excellent customer service skills, particularly with a variety of client situations;
• Able to prioritize duties and perform multiple tasks; Able to work in a high-stress, fast-paced environment;
• Solid computer skills; Able to learn specialized software quickly; Ability to learn, retain and communicate a wide variety of information; Detail orientation.
• Must have emotional intelligence, work ethics and integrity skills including the ability to communicate in a professional manner and work collaboratively with members of staff at all levels.
• Able to work with the animals within the Shelter's care. This includes the ability to work visually and audibly, with animals both alive and deceased, including dogs, cats, small mammals and more.
• Able to work with disinfectants and cleaning supplies; Able to perform physical work including scrubbing, mopping, lifting, walking, and bending.
• Able to quickly learn and maintain adherence to the Organization's Standards of Professional Conduct.
• Ability to maintain solid attendance and punctuality expectations. Able to work a flexible schedule including overtime, evenings and weekends as required.

Other:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Valid Colorado Driver's License and insurable driving record required. Must maintain personal vehicle insurance requirements.

Working Conditions:

Work Environment: Work is primarily performed in the animal shelter setting; Potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases and cleaning chemicals; Potential for exposure to dangerous and fractious animals; Potential exposure to high noise levels when in kennel area; Potential for animal bites and scratches while handling animals; Potential exposure to hay and dust; Potential exposure to deceased animals; Potential for exposure to various weather conditions when working outside.

Physical Activities: Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds without assistance and more with assistance; Potential for standing on feet and/or sitting for 8 to 10 hours per day; Work includes answering phones and performing data entry; kneeling; squatting; lifting; bending; cleaning rooms and cages; scrubbing; mopping; walking dogs on a leash; animal restraint; and handling needles and syringes. Audibly hearing; verbally communicating and visually seeing. Occasional driving may be required.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job. NOCO Humane conducts background checks, DMV checks and requires drug testing of all employment candidates.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Benefits for full-time employees include options for medical and life, dental, vision and supplemental accident insurance; STD/LTD insurance; a matching 403b plan; paid time off (PTO) accrual; 9 paid holidays and more. Benefits for part-time employees include paid time off (PTO); a matching 403b plan and more.

May 2025