Animal Intake and Assessment Coordinator

Foothills Animal Shelter • Golden, CO

1d • $21 - $23

About The Position

Foothills Animal Shelter seeks an Animal Intake and Assessment Coordinator who is passionate about helping animals succeed and excited to make a meaningful impact in the lives of shelter animals during their most vulnerable moments. Who We Are As an open admissions shelter, we are committed to being here for families and their pets in Jefferson County, Colorado. We identify as a socially conscious shelter, caring for over 9,000 dogs, cats, and small animals every year with a compassionate team of staff and volunteers who are committed to the physical and emotional wellbeing of every pet we serve. What You Bring You thrive in fast-paced environments where no two days are the same. You can pivot quickly between completing an intake, conducting a behavior assessment, and coordinating a foster placement—all while maintaining your composure and attention to detail. You have a gift for reading animals. Whether you're evaluating a nervous cat or assessing a high-energy dog, you can observe body language, recognize behavioral needs, and make thoughtful recommendations that set animals up for success. You understand that every animal's journey starts with their intake experience. You take pride in ensuring that first interaction is as low-stress as possible, setting the foundation for positive outcomes. You're comfortable with the hard parts of animal welfare. You can perform euthanasia with compassion and professionalism when it's the most humane choice, and you support your teammates through emotionally challenging situations. You value teamwork and collaboration. You know that your work directly impacts every other department in the shelter, and you take ownership of keeping things running smoothly for the whole team. You believe in our mission. You recognize the significance of the human-animal bond, and you are proud to support the formation and continuation of these powerful relationships. What We Offer Let's start with the obvious: we offer truly meaningful work that positively impacts the lives of thousands of animals each year. You will work with a team of animal welfare professionals who work hard, care deeply, and are 100% dedicated to the well-being of our shelter animals. We strive for a healthy work-life balance, and we offer generous time off including six paid holidays, additional floating holidays (awarded annually on your employment anniversary), three weeks of accrued vacation, and paid sick leave. We offer a full spectrum of employee benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and a retirement plan with up to 4% employer match and immediate vesting. Currently, two of our medical plans and our dental and vision plans are offered at no cost for employee-only coverage. The pay rate for this position will be $21.00 per hour. Employees in this position are eligible for incremental base pay increases up to $23.00 per hour upon demonstrated proficiency in each of the following areas: administrative tasks specific to the role, animal processing tasks, animal assessments, dog-to-dog introductions, behavior support sessions, and specialized adoption counseling. Foothills Animal Shelter is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer. View complete job description here.

Requirements

• Professional or educational experience with basic veterinary procedures such as vaccinations, medication delivery, observation documentation, and Fear Free veterinary restraint strategies
• Must obtain and maintain euthanasia certification within six months of hire
• Must obtain and maintain rabies pre-exposure vaccination series within six months of hire
• Must obtain Fear Free Shelter certification within 60 days of employment
• General knowledge of animal care, treatments, disease, and proper, fear-free restraint of animals of various sizes, weights, and temperaments
• Working knowledge of animal sheltering practices; highly supportive of open admissions philosophy
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office including word processing, spread sheets, meeting software and email; proficient with animal management software and databases
• Ability to multi-task and maintain composure in a fast-paced environment while providing courteous service to potentially difficult, emotional, or frustrated clients
• Ability to maintain the highest levels of confidentiality when dealing with proprietary information and sensitive situations
• Ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of people and personality types
• Ability to stand and walk for the majority of a 10-hour shift on hard surfaces with minimal sedentary work
• Ability to bend, twist, kneel, and squat frequently throughout the shift
• Ability to lift, carry, and move up to 50 pounds regularly throughout the shift
• Ability to physically restrain and handle animals of all sizes and temperaments, including dogs weighing over 100 pounds
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions year-round including heat, cold, rain, and snow
• Manual dexterity to handle veterinary equipment including needles, syringes, and restraint tools
• Ability to respond quickly to emergency situations requiring immediate physical intervention

Nice To Haves

• Professional or educational experience in animal learning theory, animal behavior, and positive-based force-free animal training preferred
• Experience in animal sheltering or similar professional animal care field preferred
• Valid driver license with insurable driving record preferred

Responsibilities

• Complete intakes, vaccines, and initial behavior and health evaluations for animals of all sizes, setting them up for their best possible outcome.
• Conduct behavior assessments for dogs and cats, including physical restraint and handling of animals of all sizes, and coordinate dog-to-dog interactions for assessment, enrichment, and behavior change.
• Lead enrichment and behavior maintenance programs under the direction of department leadership.
• Recruit, screen, and support foster families by conducting phone screens, background checks, home inspections, and ongoing training for active foster homes.
• Match animals to appropriate foster homes and coordinate logistics for pick-up and drop-off appointments.
• Support the shelter's transfer program by loading and unloading animals, processing arrivals, completing paperwork, and coordinating foster care as needed.
• Maintain accurate animal records using the shelter's animal management database to streamline animal processing and movement.
• Perform euthanasia as dictated by organizational policies in a timely and compassionate manner, following all safety procedures and DEA documentation requirements.
• Serve as a positive role model for staff and volunteers, treating all animals humanely and with respect in line with Fear Free sheltering philosophies.

Benefits

• truly meaningful work that positively impacts the lives of thousands of animals each year
• work with a team of animal welfare professionals who work hard, care deeply, and are 100% dedicated to the well-being of our shelter animals
• healthy work-life balance
• generous time off including six paid holidays, additional floating holidays (awarded annually on your employment anniversary), three weeks of accrued vacation, and paid sick leave
• full spectrum of employee benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and a retirement plan with up to 4% employer match and immediate vesting
• two of our medical plans and our dental and vision plans are offered at no cost for employee-only coverage
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees