Animal Foster Care Coordinator

City of Aurora•Aurora, CO

1d•$27 - $33•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Aurora is seeking a skilled Foster Care Coordinator to manage the shelter’s foster care program, including foster volunteers and their humane care and treatment for sheltered animals. Aurora Animal Services provides animal-related services for the city of Aurora, including picking up injured or stray animals, assisting owners in searching for lost pets, and facilitating adoptions. This role is crucial for developing, managing, and implementing a foster care program that aligns with retention needs based on shelter population.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in animal services, animal husbandry, or directly related field
3 years of proven successful volunteer or foster program management experience, ideally including budget management, record keeping, and program development
2 years of animal care, animal shelter or kennel environment experience
Familiarity with pet animal behavior and pet animal medicine
2 years of experience providing high level customer service
Driver's License with a good driving record.

Nice To Haves

Euthanasia Fear Free Certification

Responsibilities

Develop, manage, and implement a foster care program that fits retention needs based on shelter population.
Process new foster applications in a timely manner, including communication with prospective foster volunteers, home inspections, orientations and required training for onboarding.
Recruit, train, and supervise foster volunteers to provide care in their homes for shelter animals.
Conduct new and annual foster home inspections per PACFA guidelines.
Provide support for foster parents experiencing emergencies, including support and coordination with appropriate staff for resolution in conjunction with the Foster Assistant.
Review shelter population regularly with the medical and behavior team to identify animals in need of foster placement and facilitate communication for placement and any necessary education for foster support of the animal’s care.
Create and consistently update training material for fosters with the appropriate staff members to continually educate and develop foster families’ skill set to care for different species and foster care needs.
Create, update, and enforce foster related shelter SOPs and division policies in conjunction with management.
Monitor and maintain animal food and shelter supplies for the foster program, including identifying need, ordering, organizing, storing, and maintaining inventory records for items currently being used.
Coordinate scheduling veterinary treatments and necessary appointments with appropriate staff (i.e. medical, shelter staff, behavior) and regularly check in with foster volunteers for general updates.
Provide general medical exams and vaccinations for intakes and ongoing appointments for animals while in foster care.
Defer to the medical team for treatments requiring veterinary oversight or direction.
Consult with medical staff regarding medical care of foster animals and appropriately relay this information to foster volunteers. This includes while in shelter, at appointments, and general communications with fosters (i.e. phone calls and emails relating to an issue with the animal(s)).
Maintain and update shelter records for animals.
Observes animals for signs of disease or injury and assists in rechecking animals.
Takes regular inventory of animals in foster homes and corrects discrepancies.
Facilitate open communication and teamwork with the Foster Assistant to ensure cohesive support for the foster care program, foster volunteers, shelter staff, and shelter animals – including delegation of appropriate tasks to maintain timely completion.
Provide support to the Foster Assistant to best maintain the foster care program and equivalent support to foster volunteers.
Serve as the primary point of contact for foster volunteers and members of their household, ensuring all communication is timely and respectful, including resolution of issues and general information.
Promote a positive and healthy culture for foster volunteers, including recognition, events, training, and communication with foster volunteers.
Coordinate foster involvement in community outreach and/or special events with the Community Engagement Coordinator or other city departments.
Participate and represent AAS in animal welfare related meetings and events to encourage collaboration with other animal welfare partners for our foster care program and the shelter.
Foster teamwork and aid division staff and volunteers, including promotion of open communication about the foster program with all staff, management, and volunteers.
Assists with front office duties; greets, interacts with, and provides information to citizens on the Aurora Animal Services Division's policies.
Maintains proper functioning and safety of shelter equipment; transports animals; drives, cleans, and maintains vehicles assigned to shelter.
Performs euthanasia and related tasks.
Performs additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

Competitive total compensation package
Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs
Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
Access to innovation workspaces
Generous paid leave program
100% funded Employee and Family Care Leave Program
Retirement pension plan and 457b plans available
Subsidized recreation center pass, on-site fitness centers and wellness programs
Continued education and career advancement opportunities