PT Adoption Counselor
About The Position
The Adoption Counselor provides welcoming, high-quality customer service to everyone entering the Kansas Humane Society and supports potential adopters in choosing a pet that fits their needs. The role uses conversational, open-ended counseling to educate adopters about animal care and guide them through the pre-adoption process, animal visits, and adoption completion. The counselor helps develop and implement adoption events, promotes responsible pet ownership, monitors the physical and behavioral health of animals available for adoption, responds appropriately to signs of illness, and fully informs adopters about pets’ minor medical or behavioral conditions and their potential implications. The role also provides enrichment for animals in the Adoptions Area. This is a part-time position in Wichita, Kansas, with late-afternoon, evening, and weekend hours. The listed pay is $14.00 per hour.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Background in caregiving or customer service.
- Respect for the human-animal bond.
- Ability to communicate clearly and provide frequent verbal communication.
- Ability to handle challenging, awkward, emotional, and sometimes hostile customers calmly and respectfully.
- Good conflict-resolution skills, flexibility, and ability to make decisions independently.
- Ability to handle dogs, cats, small mammals, and birds on a daily basis.
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret documents.
- Ability to perform basic arithmetic using whole numbers and common fractions.
- Ability to type, stand, sit, kneel, squat, walk, mop, crouch, crawl, and work on hands and knees.
- Ability to use both hands for repetitive actions, including firm grasp, fine manipulation, and typing, for up to eight hours daily.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, or throw items weighing 5–100 pounds on occasion; restrain animals weighing 5–100 pounds on occasion; and lift up to 30 pounds above shoulder height frequently.
- Ability to work around animal vocalizations, animal waste, odors, industrial cleaning supplies, and visual exposure to animal waste.
Nice To Haves
- Previous animal-handling experience with dogs and cats.
Responsibilities
- Provide timely, polite, and respectful customer service to internal and external customers, while remaining calm, flexible, and open to other perspectives.
- Assist with and participate in developing and implementing special adoption events.
- Stay current in humane animal husbandry and educate adopters about responsible pet ownership and resources suited to their individual needs.
- Encourage open conversations between counselors and adopters to help prepare adopters for successful pet ownership.
- Monitor the physical and behavioral health of pets available for adoption and respond appropriately to signs of illness.
- Fully inform adopters about pets’ minor medical or behavioral issues and possible future implications.
- Provide enrichment for pets housed in the Adoptions Area.
- Assist adopters through the pre-adoption process, animal visits, and adoption completion.
Benefits
- Generous paid time off.
- 10 paid holidays per year.
- Paid time when closed for inclement weather.
- Comprehensive low-deductible health, pharmacy, and dental plans.
- Vision insurance plan.
- SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with a generous company match.
- Pre-tax spending accounts for health care and childcare expenses.
- Discounted YMCA membership.
- Discounts on adoptions, retail store items, basic veterinary services and medicine, and pet food.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
