Animal Care Specialist

Job Description

Position: Animal Care Specialist FLSA: Non-Exempt Department: Animal Services Schedule: Workdays are Tuesday - Saturday. The work schedule will be based on department need. This position may be subject to after hours, emergency call in, and holidays. Reports To: Animal Services Manager Positions Supervised: None

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Animal Services Manager, the employee performs work related to intake and disposition of animals, maintaining accurate records and documents, and providing excellent customer service. This position coordinates with staff and customers to ensure that smooth transactions occur for customers reclaiming their pets, adopting pets, rescuing, and surrendering. This position facilitates reclamations, adoptions, rescues, and surrenders, as well as dispatching calls to officers. The Animal Care Specialist is also responsible for following up with customers regarding rabies and sterilization status, calling owners of microchipped animals, and assisting with events hosted at the shelter and away from the shelter. Provides care for animals in the animal shelter and helps clean and maintain the shelter office. This position is often the first impression citizens and customers have of city staff and the animal shelter.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Primarily provides excellent customer service, dispatches calls to Animal Control Officers, resolves customer issues, and assists customers with reclamation of pets, rescue pulls, adoptions, surrenders, strays, and lost and found pets; coordinates with volunteers, staff, and customers regarding animal intakes and dispositions; ensures every effort is put forth to contact a pet's owner.
• Greets, directs, and provides information to visitors; answers and responds to questions from the general public and other city departments including complaints and requests for service in a professional and courteous manner; resolves or refers complaints to appropriate agency or personnel under departmental and city policies.
• Attends to visitors and deals with inquiries by phone, voicemail, email, and face-to-face in a timely manner; supplies information regarding the organization to the general public.
• Assists prospective clients in the selection of animals for adoption and in the preparation of adoption forms as well as reviewing post-surgical care instructions.
• Assists citizens with animal shelter services; handles cash with the ability to accurately make change for fee payments; processes animal intake, transfers, reclaims, and adoptions.
• Informs individuals on the responsibility of pet ownership, animal husbandry, local animal resources, and City ordinances pertaining to animals within the city limits in a courteous and customer-service-focused manner.
• Organizes and maintains sanitary conditions within the front office and workspace including recordkeeping, desktop organization, sweeping and mopping of floors, dusting furniture and equipment, and sanitizing equipment using cleaning and sanitation chemicals.
• Assists with general care of animals impounded at the animal shelter such as microchipping, vaccinating, deworming, and care of animals in a professional and humane manner.
• Performs administrative duties requiring above-average administrative skills, considerable discretion, confidentiality, and specialized knowledge.
• Receives and classifies animals delivered to the shelter following standard procedures.
• Assists in keeping all records regarding the department up to date and in accordance with all state requirements; establishes and maintains file systems, both electronic and traditional, for departmental information and correspondence.
• Protects confidential information on customers and donors.
• Responsible for the collection of money via many different avenues; responsible for all forms of cash collections, reconciliation, and end of day processing.
• Ensures that all shelter documents are updated and accurate, including assisting with input of medical records; maintenance and accuracy of records is paramount.
• Assists in following up on rescue documents, sterilization/rabies contracts, and sterilization scheduling.
• Receives and dispatches emergency and non-emergency calls; records significant information and prioritizes officer attention according to urgency and importance.
• Assists in updating and maintaining the City's website, social media pages, bulletin boards, and other means of marketing and advertising, as well as relaying stories to press.
• Assists in event planning, volunteer, and rescue organization coordination.
• Signs off on euthanasia list, ensuring there is no public interest prior to an animal's euthanasia.
• Assists other functions of the shelter when needed.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to communicate orally in person, by telephone, email, social media, and two-way radio in emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Good knowledge of operations, services, methods, and techniques of animal control.
• Good knowledge of bookkeeping and/or accounting practices and procedures; ability to perform basic mathematical functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Working knowledge of equipment and materials used in the capture and impounding of animals.
• Good knowledge of housekeeping practices, procedures, and methods as necessary in maintaining sanitary conditions at the animal shelter.
• Ability to read documents, books, manuals, correspondence, reports, and instructions written by hand and typed; ability to read computer screen.
• Ability to operate a city-owned vehicle in a safe manner.
• Ability to write records and reports; ability to account for monies received and prepare Daily Batch Report in an accurate and timely manner.
• Ability to vaccinate, administer medication, and microchip animals.
• Ability to assist veterinarian during spay and neuter surgery in the absence of the Vet Technician and/or Animal Control Officer.
• Ability to assist within different functions of the Animal Services Team through cross-training.
• Above average knowledge of computer applications, Microsoft Office, and other basic office equipment.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service in tense, stressful, and irate situations.
• Resilient and flexible in the face of stressful conditions with the ability to work efficiently and effectively under those conditions.
• Excellent customer service, time management, grammatical, writing, and public relations skills necessary.
• Knowledge of the care and handling of animals and basic animal regulations and City ordinances.
• Reliable and timely with a strong work ethic; strong time management skills and ability to prioritize unsupervised.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills are a must.
• Ability to prioritize workload effectively and assist with records retention for the City of Weatherford Animal Services department.
• Regular, reliable, and punctual levels of attendance are essential job functions and expectations of this position.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to walk and stand for extended periods of time in the maintenance of facility and grounds, caring for, and capture of animals.
• Ability to bend, stoop, push, and pull while performing maintenance duties, retrieving or placing files in cabinets or shelves, and general care of animals in shelter or capture of animals.
• Ability to carry and lift animals and other supplies weighing up to 75 lbs. in and around the animal shelter area and to other areas away from the facility such as a veterinarian office.
• Ability to reach to perform activities at animal shelter; ability to reach overhead in order to obtain supplies and items in cabinets and on shelves.
• Fine dexterity with fingers and hands required to handle items, animals, and to operate computer, typewriter, calculator, two-way radio, and vehicle.
• Ability to communicate orally in person, by telephone, email, and two-way radio in emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Physical exertion will include repetitive standing, walking, stooping, bending, twisting, and lifting.
• Must maintain confidence around pets.

Environmental Conditions

• Work is performed indoors and outdoors and is subject to mechanical, fire, weather, and chemical hazards.
• Work is subject to bodily injury when dealing with animals.
• Work may be subject to time pressures, emergency situations, noisy/distracting environment, irregular work schedule, performing multiple tasks simultaneously, and dealing with irate people.
• Regular exposure to animal odors, airborne particles, diseases (including zoonotic), possible contagious conditions, bites, scratches, and moderate noise levels.

Minimum Qualifications

• Two (2) or more years of experience in customer service, administration, dispatching, or other related fields, preferably in the animal sheltering environment.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Must have a valid Texas Driver's License and driving record must meet or surpass guidelines as set forth by the City.
• Due to the nature of the position, criminal history must be clear.
• Must obtain Basic Animal Control Certification issued by the Texas Department of Health within six (6) months of employment.
• Must possess computer skills, including Microsoft Office and shelter software.
• Bilingual in Spanish is strongly preferred.

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