PAWS is currently hiring for a full time (five days a week, at least one weekend day required) Animal Care Technician!

 

An integral member of PAWS’ Grays Ferry facility, the Animal Care Technician position supports PAWS’ rescue, adoption/foster, medical, and community support programs. Animal Care Technicians take an individual approach to the mental and physical wellbeing of each animal in our care. In doing so, Animal Care Technicians ensure each animal’s stay at PAWS is as healthy, positive, and stress-free as possible. Animal Care Technicians are also the caretakers of PAWS’ facility and equipment. Animal Care Technicians represent PAWS through regular interactions with the public – adopters, foster parents, volunteers, and customers – and strive to provide a welcoming and personable experience for them at all times.

 

Principal Duties:

• – Keep all areas of the facility clean, neat, and safe. This includes maintaining bathrooms, kitchen, outdoor spaces, and other general use areas, as well as general supplies and equipment. 
• – Feed and care for animals with strong attention to detail regarding each pet’s medical and behavioral plan.  
• – Prepare kennels for new arrivals with the goal of creating a low-stress, welcoming environment for the animals. 
• – Clean animal housing areas according to established protocols, ensuring that each animal’s mental well being is attended to while minimizing risk of disease transmission. 
• – Transport animals throughout the facility as needed. 
• – Maintain accurate identification including collars, identification tags, and cage cards during each animal’s stay at the facility.
• – Assist in animal socialization and enrichment, including but not limited to preparing and dispensing enrichment, one-on-one time and attention, walks, play time, and participating in training and behavior modification under the direction of the animal care manager.
• – Rapidly identify medical and behavioral issues that need to be brought to the attention of the immediate supervisor or the clinical staff. Record interactions with animals per established procedures and policies.
• – Communicate inventory and supply needs to the animal care manager, and assist in keeping supply logs updated as needed. 
• – Promote a humane and caring attitude toward all animals and treat all animals with compassion at all times, including those that are sick, injured, stressed, or reactive. Adhere to fear free, force free handling and restraint practices under the guidance of the animal care manager and clinic staff.
• – Maintain a calm, pleasant, tactful, and professional demeanor at all times when dealing with coworkers and the public, even in stressful situations such as euthanasia.  
• – Work courteously and cooperatively with volunteers to ensure that all established procedures and policies are followed. Welcome new volunteers and help train them under the guidance of the volunteer manager. 
• – Partner collaboratively with staff in other departments to advance PAWS’ lifesaving mission.
• – Foster a welcoming, positive environment for clients, volunteers, foster parents and staff. 
• – Assist in the preparation of animals for medical treatments, surgery, off-site adoption events, and transfers to foster homes, adoptive homes, and PAWS’ adoption locations.
• – Provide medication to animals, as appropriate and needed under the direction of clinical staff.  
• – Follow established procedures governing safe work practices.
• – Perform other duties as assigned.

 

Requirements:

• – Must be 18 years of age or older.
• – Two years of public contact work or volunteer experience, preferably working with animals.  
• – Ability to work with and around animals including sick, injured and/or stressed animals, including those with the propensity to scratch or bite.
• – Ability to lift and move objects and animals weighing up to 50 pounds for short distances. 
• – Allergies that are aggravated when handling or working with animals may be a disqualification.

 

Preferred Experience, Qualities, and Abilities:

• – Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills. 
• – Ideal candidate is personable, patient, and able to get along well with a variety of people.
• – Flexible, committed to teamwork, and willing to adapt to unplanned changes in workflow. 
• – Strong sense of initiative, identifying tasks that need to be accomplished, staying busy during downtime, and prioritizing tasks appropriately.
• – Ability to manage multiple tasks and accommodate varied work assignments.
• – Affection and compassion for animals, concern for their welfare, and a willingness to accommodate animals in the workplace.
• – Comfort and ability to work with animals of unknown disposition and those who may exhibit medical or behavioral challenges to handling.
• – An empathetic, non-judgmental attitude, and experience supporting community members in crisis, and community members who may be struggling with socioeconomic challenges.
• – Ability to communicate respectfully with a culturally diverse staff, volunteers and community in a professional, pleasant, courteous and tactful manner at all times. 
• – Ability to read, write and understand English.

 

Hours/location:

This is an hourly position. Typical shift times are 9am-5pm. PAWS is open seven days a week, so at least one weekend day worked is required (ideally Sunday). Daily reporting hours and days of the week will vary according to the needs of the organization and may include weekend, night and holiday work. This position is located at 2900 Grays Ferry Ave.

 

Compensation:

Compensation is based on experience.

 

Immediate Supervisors:

Dog Program and Animal Care Manager

Director of Operations

 

Interested? We want to hear from you! Please send us your resume and cover letter via this form.