Animal Care Technician

KANSAS HUMANE SOCIETY OF WICHITA INC•Wichita, KS

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Animal Care Technician provides safe, humane, thorough handling and care for animals housed at the Kansas Humane Society. Duties include cleaning and sanitizing animal areas and equipment; observing and recording animal health and behavior; providing appropriate supplies and enrichment; following disease-control protocols; and assisting with and performing euthanasia. The role also provides respectful customer service to internal and external customers and supports the organization’s HEART core values: compassion, commitment, integrity, respect, and collaboration. The position is full-time and day shift in Wichita, Kansas. It involves daily handling of dogs and cats, including sick, injured, or deceased animals, and exposure to animal noise, waste, odors, and industrial cleaning supplies. Physical work includes repetitive scrubbing and cleaning, animal restraint, lifting and carrying items or animals, and extended periods of standing and other movement. The position requires coping with stress, loss, grief, and physical and emotional fatigue.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Reliable transportation.
Good attendance history.
Attention to detail.
Ability to speak effectively and communicate clearly.
Ability to hear average conversations.
Ability to use hands for repetitive actions, firm grasp, fine manipulation, and typing.
Ability to perform repetitive motion above and below shoulder height for 4–8 hours daily; repetitive hand scrubbing at and above shoulder level for 2–4 hours daily; and deck-brushing movements for 4–6 hours daily.
Ability to work with hands exposed repeatedly to water and cleaning chemicals for 6–8 hours daily.
Ability to restrain small and large animals weighing 5–100 pounds and to handle animals that may pull, jolt, or jump on the employee.
Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, or throw items weighing 5–100 pounds; repeatedly climb a step ladder; stoop; and stand, walk, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
Comfort handling dogs and cats daily, including sick, injured, or deceased pets, and working around barking, animal waste, odors, and industrial cleaning supplies.
Ability to reason through variables under limited standardization; perform basic arithmetic with whole numbers and common fractions; read, analyze, and interpret documents; and communicate clearly.
Ability to cope with stress, loss, death, grief, emotional and physical fatigue, long hours, and a variety of human personalities.

Nice To Haves

Customer service or caregiving background.

Responsibilities

Provide timely, polite, and respectful customer service to internal and external customers, and treat people entering the agency as potential donors.
Follow infection-prevention and shelter-sanitation protocols to clean and sanitize animal holding areas, supplies, and equipment thoroughly and on schedule.
Follow disease-control protocols, including timely removal of physically or behaviorally ill animals, maintaining foot baths, handwashing, and wearing appropriate protective clothing when handling ill animals.
Maintain current knowledge of humane animal husbandry and animal handling.
Provide animals in all holding areas with appropriate supplies and enrichment.
Participate in training and carry out the euthanasia process safely, humanely, and as calmly as possible.
Observe and record animal health and behavior.
Assist with and perform euthanasia.

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.