Animal Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Title:    Animal Care Lead –Full Time

Starting Wage: $24.00 per hour

The Animal Care Lead oversees daily shelter operations related to animal welfare, ensuring high standards of care and well-brining. This role provides coaching and training to staff and volunteers in key areas including feeding, medication administration, observation, and behavioral evaluation to support the animals' comfort, health, and enrichment.

The Animal Care Lead also coordinates daily care routines and essential shelter tasks, leads volunteer meetings, and assigns responsibilities to ensure efficient and effective operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

In accordance with organizational policies, duties include but are not limited to:

• Oversee the delegation of cleaning tasks amongst staff and volunteers. Responsible for making sure all animal housing areas are cleaned and prepared for opening.

• Responsible for the coordination of daily care tasks amongst Animal Care Assistants and volunteers including but not limited to dog walking, cat kennel husbandry, post-surgery placements, incoming transfer placements, evening feeding, and more as required to provide care.
• Process incoming animals that are stray, transferred from other shelters, or surrendered by owners.  This includes, but is not limited to, performing physical and behavioral assessments, entering information into the database, and setting up animals in appropriate kennels or cages.
• Confidently lead activities of and delegates tasks to volunteers and Animal Care Assistants during daily operations. Oversees, guides and provides feedback to volunteers in day-to-day performance of their duties.
• Responsible for training and overseeing the animal care volunteers on a daily basis, including hosting pre-shift meetings and tracking attendance and supervising the work of the volunteers.
• Collaborating with the Volunteer Program Manager to assess the shelter volunteer operations, as well as efficiency and effectiveness of training, scheduling, and advancement of shelter volunteers. Identifying scheduling challenges, volunteers who need additional support, and ways to improve and increase volunteer numbers and retention.
• Completes daily animal care tasks in areas while coaching and training volunteers, including but not limited to feeding, dog walking, and kennel attending.
• Make recommendations regarding the euthanasia of animals in care for behavioral and safety concerns, as well as for other quality of life concerns.
• Administer vaccinations, medications and treatment for injuries or illness as prescribed by a veterinarian and provides general health care for animals.
• Provide assistance to shelter managers with the evaluation of medical and behavioral needs of animals in the shelter by maintaining accurate records and status changes as required.

Additional Responsibilities include the following.

• Under the direction of shelter managers, euthanizes or assists in euthanizing animals according to written policies and procedures using sodium pentobarbital.
• Assisting the Adoptions team with meet and greets with potential adopters
• Prepare accommodations and care for post-operative animals and prepares animal’s caging per pre-surgery Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• Oversee the hands-on training of new and existing volunteers in safe animal handling and proper care methods designed to reduce the stress of the companion animals in PAWS’ care.
• Identifies and addresses issues with volunteer training or performance and works with the Programs Manager on issues of performance failure and lack of compliance with PAWS SOP’s and philosophy.
• Performs dog-to-dog introductions for adoptions and behavior evaluations.
• Attend weekly meetings with the Animal Care Team to provide status updates on animals and shelter needs.
• Communicate closely and effectively with the Shelter Manager to keep up to date on shelter needs.
• Driving may be required for emergency situations or for animal transport.
• May be assigned other related duties as needed by the shelter managers.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

PAWS is an equal opportunity employer. PAWS employment decisions are made based on merit and business needs. PAWS is committed to recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, regardless of actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. We celebrate the diversity of individual unique identity, perspectives, and experiences and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We encourage ALL to apply.

All PAWS positions receive written performance evaluations after the first 90 days and annually thereafter.

Application process:

Upload your Cover Letter stating your qualifications and why you are interested in this position, your Resume, and complete the online Application.

Only Complete Application Packets will receive consideration.

Position Open Until Filled but may be closed at any time a qualified candidate is selected. 

Note: Under the provisions of the Immigration and Reform Act of 1986, the successful candidate will be required to provide both evidence of identity and eligibility for employment.

All Offers of Employment are Conditional, based on successful completion of reference and background checks.

Education:

High school graduate or equivalent preferred.

Related experience:

• Minimum 6 months’ experience working with cats and dogs in a professional environment. More than a year is strongly preferred.
• Minimum 3 months’ experience working with animals in a humane society, animal shelter or veterinary clinic. 

Certificates, Licenses, or Registrations:

Certification in FearFree™ sheltering methods, or able to achieve this training upon hire.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIEs:

• Commitment – A champion for animals no matter the difficulty.
• Compassion – Acting to ease pain and distress.
• Kindness – Demonstrating caring toward all living beings.
• Respect – Welcoming to people of all backgrounds and identities.
• Trust – Believing in the ability and positive intention of others.
• Always communicate clearly and respectfully with staff, volunteers and members of the public.
• Work cooperatively with people and communicate clearly about PAWS’ mission, the care and treatment of animals, and the safety of the public and other employees. Must be able to always represent PAWS professionally.
• Possess excellent interpersonal, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills and work effectively and respectfully with diverse groups of people and maintain high quality customer relations.  
• Ability to be organized and flexible, and balance concurrent projects while adjusting to rapid, changing needs.   

technical Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge

• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Outlook, and possess basic computer skills.

• Experience with PetPoint is highly desirable.
• Fear-free handling and humane restraint
• Capacity to work daily with companion animals and have a basic understanding of the needs and behavior of domestic cats and dogs.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Candidates must be able to lift a minimum of forty (40) pounds.  Work is performed both in and out of the shelter or Cat City adoption center which requires lifting, bending, stooping, pushing and other moderately strenuous activities. Must be able to sit or stand for long periods of time, including working at a computer.

Work Environment:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to 80-100 decibel dog barking for extended periods of time. Hearing protection is provided
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to zoonotic diseases, transferable between animals and humans, such as but not limited to; rabies, ringworm, distemper, leptospirosis and various parasites.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to various biohazards related to animal care and caustic chemicals used for sanitation.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet/cold/icy/hot/humid weather conditions.