Position Title:    Animal Care Lead – 40 hrs/week 

Starting Wage: $24.00 per hour

Purpose of Position:

To provide for the comfort, health and enrichment needs of animals at the shelter by coordinating daily shelter care and other mandatory tasks under the direct supervision of the Animal Care Manager.

VALUES
All employees and volunteers exemplify the values of PAWS and exhibit mindful demonstration of:

           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.

Essential Responsibilities:

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

• Oversees the delegation of morning 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 including but not limited to dog walking, correct cat kennel husbandry, post-surgery animal arrangements, incoming transfer placements, evening feeding, ensuring medications have been administered, and more as required to provide care per PAWS SOPs.
• Processes 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, coordinating with Animal Control Officers to receive sensitive information, and setting up animals in appropriate kennels or cages.
• Leads activities of and provides feedback and support to volunteers and Animal Care Assistants during daily operations. Oversees and provides assistance to volunteers in day-to-day performance of their duties.
• Responsible for overseeing the animal care volunteers on a daily basis including hosting pre-shift meetings and tracking attendance and supervising the work of the volunteers.

Other Responsibilities Include: 

• Cleans animal housing and treatment areas and provides food, care and socialization for animals according to written procedures when other staff or volunteers are not available.
• Makes recommendations regarding the euthanasia of animals in care for behavioral and safety concerns, as well as for other quality of life concerns in compliance with PAWS SOPs
• Administers vaccinations, immunizations and treatment for injuries or illness as prescribed by a veterinarian and provides general health care for animals as provided in written policies and procedures. 
• Provides 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. 
• Under the direction of shelter managers, euthanizes or assists in euthanizing animals according to written policies and procedures using sodium pentobarbital.
• Prepares accommodations and care for post-operative animals and prepares animal’s caging per pre-surgery Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• Oversees 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.
• Attends weekly meetings with their counterpart ACL and Animal Care Manager to provide status updates on animals and shelter needs.
• Communicates closely and effectively with the Animal Care Manager to keep up to date on shelter needs.
• Driving may be required for emergency situations or for animal transport. PAWS vehicles may be available, though own transportation is recommended.
• May be assigned other related duties as needed by the shelter managers.

Controls over Work:

Animal Care Leads work under the general direct supervision of the Animal Care Manager and are expected to perform the established duties according to daily schedules.

Physical Demands:

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. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

Benefits:

Generous benefits available including health/vision/dental/long-term disability/life insurance for employees and their families, enrollment in 403(b) plan with employer contribution and match, paid time off (PTO) starting with accrual of up to 15 days annually, paid sick leave accrued on all hours worked, 10 paid holidays per year, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), pet supply discounts, and discounts for veterinary services at select veterinary clinics.

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.

Requirements: 

• High school graduate or equivalent preferred.
• 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. 
• Proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel and possess basic computer skills.
• Experience with PetPoint is highly desirable.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities: 

• 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.
• Capacity to work daily with companion animals and have a basic understanding of the needs and behavior of domestic cats and dogs.
• 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.  
• Important considerations for this position include the ability to handle animals safely and humanely and to always communicate clearly about their needs.
• Ability to be organized and flexible, and balance concurrent projects while adjusting to rapid, changing needs.   
• Ideal candidates embrace and embody the five core values of the organization: commitment, compassion, respect, kindness, and trust.