CAREERS

Caring Hands Humane Society Job Description

Job Title: Adoption Counselor Location: Newton, KS

Department: Adoptions & Intakes Hours: 32-40 hrs/wk

FLSA Classification: Full-time/Part-time, Hourly, Non-exempt

Reports To: Director of Marketing & Development

SUMMARY

The mission of Caring Hands Humane Society is through the promotion of education in basic humane animal care, is to relieve animal suffering and to prevent cruelty to animals. At Caring Hands Humane

Society, we believe all animals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect during all stages of life.

We always strive to provide the best possible care to the animals entrusted to us and educate others about the benefits of strengthening the bond between humans and companion animals.

The Adoption Counselor is always to provide exceptional customer service and support. The Adoption

Counselor is responsible for coordinating the ingoing and outgoing animals each day and ensures that all policies and procedures regarding such are followed to completion. The Adoption Counselor must be knowledgeable of the animals in the care of the organization for the purpose of adoption. The Adoption

Counselor has a basic understanding of animal behavior and the drive to continue learning independently on how to best perform their role for both the animals and the organization in entirety.

The Adoption Counselor consistently bases decision making on the mission & goals of the organization.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

1. Customer Service

• Engender a strong customer service culture within the organization.

• Providing high quality customer service to people who visit or call CHHS.

• Promote donations and giving opportunities at any appropriate time.

2. Animal Intake/Outcome

• Keep involved in the current animal capacity and determine plan of action alongside staff for animals in the care of CHHS under the guidance of the supervisor.

• Assist customers with timely and accurate completion of paperwork to admit pets into the shelter. Enter owner and animal information into PetPoint.

• Set-up animal in the appropriate animal holding areas.

• Actively reaching out to and interacting with the general public, specifically talking with prospective adopters to find out what they are looking for in a pet.

• Helping people through the adoption process, sharing information about animal care and behavior, reviewing adoption applications, interviewing applicants in a conversational way, making decisions to finalize or deny an adoption, and communicating with the applicant in such a manner that maintains a courteous and friendly attitude even when declining a request.

• Provide rotated breaks for dogs throughout the day and during expected playgroup times.

• Interact with adoptable animals for the purpose of creating the best match with potential adopters and creating biographies for advertisements.

• Actively update pet information in PetPoint as it is learned.

• Ensure feral cats have an outcome within a week of intake.

• Actively provide courtesy calls to community cat caregivers and feral cat adopters reminding of pick-up times the day they are expected to leave.

• Provide options for owners in need of assistance with rehoming pets.

3. Other

• Assisting with the cleaning of animal areas and equipment as needed, including spot cleaning of animal and public areas throughout the day.

• Monitoring the health of the animals on an ongoing basis and rapidly identifying any health problems or conditions (medical or behavioral) and immediately reporting it to the supervisor or veterinary technician.

• Filling in for other areas and performing other tasks/functions as needed.

• Maintain a clean and clutter free work area, including but not limited to any area the public has access to.

• Balancing the cash drawer at the end of shift.

• Participate in team learning opportunities scheduled by the supervisor and individually when available time allows.

EXPECTATIONS:

• Cultivate a team environment and strive to promote trust, transparency, and accountability at all levels of the organization.

• Promote a positive and healthy organizational culture.

• Maintain a cordial and supportive relationship with employees, Board members, volunteers, and the community.

• Adhere to and support standard operating procedures in all areas of the shelter.

Meeting or exceeding the standards of the industry.

• Commit to and champion the Mission and Vision Statements of Caring Hands Humane Society.

• Willingness and ability to learn the Petpoint computer program we use to track animals in the shelter.

• Willingness and ability to learn about cat and dog behavior, common issues, and ways to address them in order to make good adoption matches and to keep animals in homes.

Supervision: This position reports directly to the Director of Marketing & Development.

EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• High School Diploma or equivalent experience.

• Proficient in computer applications including the shelter system, Microsoft suite, and email.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; proven ability to communicate with staff.

• Good public speaking skills.

• Must have sufficient knowledge on animal behavior and animal welfare protocols.

• Understanding of issues and industry practices in animal welfare.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to interact with animals safely.

• Must be able to sit at a desk for significant periods of the day.

• Must be able to do phone or computer work for blocks of time.

• Must be able to communicate effectively (speak and listen).

• Must be able to lift and move paperwork and files, up to 30 pounds.

• Exposure to moderate noise levels (such as barking dogs, ringing phones).

• Physical requirements for the position include standing, walking, lifting (50lbs), carrying (50lbs), pushing (50lbs), and pulling (50lbs), climbing, balancing, kneeling, and reaching overhead.

• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, use hands to handle objects/operate keyboard and telephone.

• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

For more information on benefits, schedule and more for job offered please visit Indeed.com.

Small, progressive Humane Society seeking part-time Shelter Veterinarian. You choose working days and hours!

Caring Hands Humane Society, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in Newton, Kansas, is seeking a part-time Shelter Veterinarian to join our team to provide spay/neuter surgeries and medical care to shelter animals in a relaxed environment with an experienced support team. The job will allow you to make a difference in animals’ lives while enjoying a good work-life balance. Applicants will be part of a progressive organization working to eliminate pet overpopulation within local communities. Caring Hands Humane Society provides care for an average of approximately 1600 animals per year with a live release rate of 95.8%. The Shelter Veterinarian can take pride in knowing they are joining a team that is dedicated to the animals and residents within the community. CHHS continues to assist in successfully diminishing the overpopulation of community cats by offering trap-neuter-return services in two local communities and growing. CHHS currently has partnerships with several rescue organizations both within and outside of Kansas for the purpose of transferring animals with greater needs than CHHS can provide. The Shelter Veterinarian will have little contact with clients, patrons, and other members of the public and only as the Shelter Veterinarian deems necessary. This allows our veterinarian to focus primarily on patient care. Competitive pay and benefits will be offered, including professional dues, paid time off, continuing education, and insurance options for dental, vision, life, accidents, and disability.

Qualifications

Veterinarians of all experience levels are welcome. Previous employment in animal welfare is a bonus but not required. Qualifications include graduation from an accredited university and a Doctoral degree in Veterinary Medicine (DVM). Applicants must hold a veterinary license in good standing in Kansas. Good communication, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to our humane society’s mission to reduce unwanted pet overpopulation and promote animal health and safety to the community are required. The Veterinarian will need to be someone who will embrace challenges, set high expectations for continuously improving medical care, focus on successful outcomes and promote teamwork, with a dedication to long-term employment. Experience in dentistry and other surgical procedures is a plus.

Scheduling

We schedule our operations around our DVM availability, so you have the freedom and flexibility to work when it is convenient for you! The Shelter Veterinarian will have the ability to choose working days. Number of hours is reliant on the current population of animals and shelter needs. We believe in a healthy work-life balance; we are all facing difficult times right now, and CHHS is dedicated to not adding to your personal stresses.

FSLA Classification: Part-time, Hourly.

COVID-19 considerations: We are currently offering curbside service for any operations excluding adoptions. Visitors are scheduled to maintain low traffic within the facility. Visitors and employees are temperature checked and required to wear masks and/or applicable PPE.

SUMMARY

The mission of Caring Hands Humane Society is through the promotion of education in basic humane animal care, is to relieve animal suffering and to prevent cruelty to animals. At Caring Hands Humane Society, we believe all animals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect during all stages of life. We always strive to provide the best possible care to the animals entrusted to us and educate others about the benefits of strengthening the bond between humans and companion animals.

The major function of our Veterinarian is to oversee and provide safe, humane, and thorough care for animals housed at Caring Hands Humane Society. This includes observing, recording and treatment of health and behavior. This person must be able to proficiently oversee all aspects of animal care not only on an individual basis but as a group. Ensure technicians and assistants are performing duties in a timely and thorough manner. Perform spay/neuter surgeries as well as other surgeries within our scope of operation.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

1. Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide vaccines, exams, and basic veterinary care.

• Provide direction, guidance, and training for shelter staff and volunteers.

• Create accurate medical records in shelter management system for actions performed, medications prescribed, and notes for staff to follow regarding any treatments.

• Prescribe medications as needed.

• Promote a caring attitude toward all animals and treat animals humanely and with compassion at all times, regardless of circumstances, including those that are sick, injured, feral, or aggressive.

• Treat people (staff, volunteers, and the public) with respect and courtesy, foster a spirit of teamwork and perform duties in a manner that assists the organization in the achievement of its goals and encourages community support of its work.

• Work cooperatively with the Executive Director and care managers.

2. Disease Control

• Implement infection prevention by ensuring all pets remain healthy through current vaccinations, testing and monitoring.
• Assure good disease control and prevention practices by following protocol for the timely removal of physically or behaviorally ill animals.
• Follow hand washing, and mask wearing protocol.
• Wear appropriate PPE when handling ill animals.
• Assure good safety control practices by following good housekeeping protocol.

3. Animal Handling

· Remain current in humane animal husbandry and handling.

· Participate in training to assure the euthanasia process is carried out in a safe, humane, and as relaxing manner as possible.

· Work collaboratively with other shelter departments to continuously improve the level of care provided to the animals in the care of Caring Hands Humane Society.

4. Measures of accomplishment

· Feedback from others (customers, coworkers, volunteer’s)

· Responsiveness

· Cooperation

· Problem solving

· Decreased stress in shelter animals

· Actively reducing disease outbreak in a population of animals

· Increased live release rate

· Compliance with caring hands society inspections

· Management of disease in shelter animals

5. Capacity management

· Keep involved in the current animal capacity and determine plan of action alongside staff for animals in the care of CHHS.

· Participate in behavior meetings & meet the needs of individual animals.

6. Physical demands and work environment

· Compassion fatigue

· Areas of high noise level

· Foul Odors

· Humanely restrain an animal when necessary

· Physical requirements

o standing, walking, lifting (50lbs), carrying (50lbs), pushing (50lbs), pulling (50lbs), climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching overhead, depth perception, and color vision.

· Must be able to interact with animals safely.

· Must be able to communicate effectively (speak and listen).

EXPECTATIONS:

· Genuinely enjoys working with animals and is able to deal with them even when they are stressed, ill, or in pain

· Can stay calm and efficient during medical crisis

· Is able to work effectively with doctors

· Is experienced in a team work approach and works well with all shelter staff members

· Has excellent communication skills

Supervision

· This position reports directly to the Executive Director and works within the Management team.

Job Type: Part-time

COVID-19 considerations:
All visitors are required to wear masks and are temperature checked on arrival. The veterinarian is not required to have direct contact with customers.

For more information please visit Indeed.com.