Adoption Counselor (Part-Time)

Richmond SPCA • Richmond, VA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Richmond SPCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to animal welfare, aiming to create a community that saves, protects, and enriches animal lives. Their mission involves providing education and resources to achieve a no-kill community. Annually, they rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome approximately 4,000 homeless animals and offer vital safety net programs to keep pets in loving homes. Their values of collaboration, creativity, honesty, inclusion, and respect guide their work. They practice an open adoption policy, believing in making the best matches between pets and people through welcoming and honest conversations. They act as a lasting resource for adopters after the adoption is complete. Adoption counselors are crucial in finding homes for homeless dogs and cats. They are expected to be friendly, outgoing, and non-judgmental, possessing strong social skills to connect with potential adopters. They must clearly communicate the behavioral and medical needs of each pet and be knowledgeable about pet ownership to navigate conversations effectively and ensure pets find wonderful homes.

Requirements

• Outstanding customer service skills
• Have reliable transportation including during inclement weather
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Availability to work on both weekend days, some holidays, and some weekdays

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred, but not required

Responsibilities

• Introduce people and pets, facilitating pet-to-pet meetings as needed, discussing medical and behavioral records at length, answering any and all questions throughout the adoption process and offering support post-adoption as needed
• Assist potential adopters by gathering information about their expectations of pet ownership to help best match them with the pets currently available for adoption
• Maintain a non-judgmental attitude and treat every potential adopter with kindness and respect
• Navigate difficult and uncomfortable conversations about pet ownership as needed in order to educate potential adopters about a variety of pet ownership topics
• Finalize the adoption process by operating a point of sale system in our pet supply shop, handling cash and card transaction, and selling pet supplies where sales directly benefit animals in need
• Clean work areas before, during and after pet visitations and preserve the physical appearance of the adoption center
• Report any pet medical and behavioral concerns or observations to veterinary staff and/or behavior and training teams for monitoring
• Maintain open and regular communication with the Director of the Adoption Center, Assistant Managers and Lead Adoption Counselors
• Perform side duties daily
• Attend and participate in all required trainings and meetings

Benefits

• Employees are eligible to become clients of our low-cost, full-service Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program
• Voluntary (employee-paid) benefits including accident insurance, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance (for employees averaging 15+ hours per week)
• 401(k) retirement plan (for employees averaging 20+ hours a week)
• Paid wellness leave (for employees averaging 20+ hours a week)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed