Animal Intake Specialist

Come join the Kansas Humane Society pack! We are looking for an Animal Intake Specialist that loves being an important part of an animal's life.

***KHS is a qualified employer for the Public Loan Service Forgiveness program.***

We offer:

• Opportunity for two pay increases per year!
• Generous paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per year
  
• Paid time when closed for Inclement Weather
• Comprehensive low deductible health, pharmacy and dental plans
• Vision insurance plan
• SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan with a generous company match
• Pre-tax spending accounts for health care and childcare expenses
• Discounted YMCA membership
• Discounts on adoptions, retail store items, basic veterinary services and medicine, and pet food
• Employee Assistance Program

POSITION PURPOSE

The primary purpose of an Intake Specialist is to complete efficient and effective animal intake procedures and proactively manage the flow of animals into KHS. Admissions Specialist provides care to incoming animals using a fear free model of safe handling and assesses incoming animals for adoptability from KHS. This position will assess all animals at Wichita Animal Services and owner-surrendered animals needing placement at KHS.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Animal Intake: Work with team members to manage the flow of animals and opportunity for placement based on shelter space.  Follow protocol to evaluate the health, age, and physical and behavioral condition of all animals needing placement at KHS. Review animal history for all factors that could influence animal’s outcome. Administer vaccinations, assist/perform drawing of blood samples, and perform lab work. Follow protocol to notate and update records based on animal assessment and complete the following requirements to prepare the animal for processing in KHS systems. Set up kennels and transfer animals into our facility as needed. For medical or behavioral concerns consult with behavioral and medical teams regarding animals that may have additional needs.

Euthanasia: Train to become a Certified Euthanasia Technicians and work on a rotating basis to provide euthanasia when needed.

Facilities Management: Make sure your department is clean and sanitized throughout the day, restock and place orders as needed. Assist your team with opening and closing duties.  Follow best practices in shelter medicine to limit disease spread in the shelter.

Training: Participate in staff training and development opportunities as requested.  Participate in special events, projects, and cross training programs as needed.

Safety: Comply with KHS Safety policies and procedures in order to maintain a healthy and safe environment.

KHS Team Work: Be ready and willing to be cross-trained and assist all other members of your department. All KHS team members provide assistance to other departments as needed.

Customer Service: Provide and model timely, polite, and respectful internal and external customer service regardless of the circumstances. Provide compassion and understanding with members of the public needing to surrender their pets. Remain calm, flexible, and willing to see other perspectives. Provide recognition and support to both staff and volunteers for their individual contributions to KHS. Assure that every individual who enters the shelter is recognized and treated as a potential supporter. Respond in a timely and professional manner to phone calls received on the Intake phone line regarding questions about animals in our care, scheduling intake appointments, and helping owners find alternatives to pet surrender.

Opening and Closing Duties: Set up rooms for all scheduled intakes and assess shelter space limitation and standards. Inventory and order supplies as needed for your area. Set up for intakes for animals at Wichita Animal Services and KHS. Assess the daily shelter needs and ensure animal flow through the shelter. Clean and sanitize all department areas though out the shelter ensuring we follow best practices in animal welfare.

KHS CORE VALUES

The Kansas Humane Society has HEART:

   HAVE COMPASSION

• We have empathy and understanding for the community and pets we serve, our teammates and our partners in animal welfare

EXEMPLIFY COMMITMENT

• We show our dedication in our work ethic and willingness to learn and grow.

ACT WITH INTEGRITY

• We prioritize integrity in all our actions.

RESPECT ALL

• We treat all animals and people with respect.

THRIVE THROUGH COLLABORATION

• We are better together, united in our service to pets and their people.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: High School Diploma or Equivalent. 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE:  Must have the ability to exercise good judgment and make independent decisions with limited supervision. Should have the ability to cope with physically and emotionally demanding work.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:  Previous animal handling experience with dogs and cats preferred.

SKILLS/ABILITIES: Independent decision making, able to work independently and in a group setting, flexibility, customer service. Respect for the human/animal bond. Ability to work with all types of animals including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, small domestic mammals, and birds.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION

TALKING:  Ability to speak effectively and communicate clearly

AVERAGE HEARING:  Able to hear average conversations

REPETITIVE MOTION:  The employee may be required to squat repeatedly during the day.

FINGER DEXTERITY:  The employee is regularly required to use hands to type. 

AVERAGE VISION:  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:

• Constant repetitive motion and lifting up to 30lbs above shoulder height (2-4 hours daily)

• Must be able to use both hands for repetitive actions: firm grasp and fine manipulation. Hands exposed to water and cleaning chemicals on a repetitive basis (8-10 hours daily)
• Physical restraining of small and large animals 5lb to 150+lb ( 8 hours daily)
• Pulled/jolted/jumped on by small and large animals 5lb to 150+lb (8 hours daily)
• Repetitive lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, throwing of 5lb to 150+lb (2 hours daily)
• Repetitive typing (8-10 hours daily)
• Standing, walking, kneeling on hands and knees, crouching, stooping, crawling (8 hours daily)

WORKING CONDITIONS

Will handle sick, injured, potentially aggressive, and deceased pets. Noise exposure varies and often includes loud barking and other animal vocalizations. Animal waste contact, smells, and visual exposure are prevalent. Exposure to industrial cleaning supplies will happen daily. Floors may be slippery and light may be dim or inadequate in some areas of the shelter. Subject to exposure to extreme hot/cold weather.

MENTAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION

REASONING ABILITY:  Ability to deal with a variety of variables under limited standardization.

MATHEMATICS ABILITY:  Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers and common fractions.

LANGUAGE ABILITY:  Ability to read, analyze, and interpret documents. Ability to communicate clearly.

INTENT AND FUNCTION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Job descriptions assist organizations in ensuring that the hiring process is fairly administered and that qualified employees are selected. They are also essential to an effective appraisal system and related promotion, transfer, layoff, and termination decisions. Well-constructed job descriptions are an integral part of any effective compensation system.

All descriptions have been reviewed to ensure that only essential functions and basic duties have been included. Peripheral tasks, only incidentally related to each position, have been excluded. Requirements, skills, and abilities included have been determined to be the minimal standards required to successfully perform the positions. In no instance, however, should the duties, responsibilities, and requirements delineated be interpreted as all-inclusive. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodations will be made which may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others or which impose undue hardships on the organization. 

Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.