Animal Welfare Specialist

ATLANTA HUMANE SOCIETY AND SOCIETY•Marietta, GA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Animal Welfare Specialist provides humane animal care and superior customer service at the Atlanta Humane Society (AHS) - Marietta in accordance with the AHS mission, goals and management philosophy. This unique facility seeks to provide a welcoming space for potential adopters and the local community. The AWS supports humane animal husbandry by providing physical and emotional enrichment to all animals, and through feeding, cleaning, and daily maintenance of the kennel facilities. In addition to animal care, the AWS assists campus guests by providing information regarding humane animal care, promoting and executing AHS services, programs, and events, facilitating visitations with animals, and counseling potential adopters to facilitate great human-animal matches.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED equivalent
Computer literate in a Windows environment required
Ability to utilize effective problem solving/decision making skills
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment
Desire to work with animals and people
Ability to multi-task and handle a high stress, emotional environment
Must be able to set aside personal judgement for the betterment of the client and the animals
Must be able to communicate with and work well with a diverse clientele, different races, ethnicities, faiths, sexual orientations, income levels, etc.
Ability to work productively alone or with minimal supervision; must be self-motivated
Requires humane handling of animals and safe handling of cleaning supplies, chemicals and equipment in compliance with safety rules and according to SDS rules
Ability to lift, pull or push up to 50 lbs. with reasonable accommodations
Required to follow AHS uniform policy
Works in a high noise level area
Physical efforts require constant bending, stooping and standing
Safety procedures must be adhered to without exception
Exposure to dogs and cats of all sizes and varying degrees of behavior and/or medical conditions
Exposure to other small mammals and birds
Exposure to animal waste, potential zoonotic diseases, and common allergens

Nice To Haves

Six months previous customer service experience in an office or retail business setting preferred
Six months experience in a similar capacity in an animal shelter, veterinary hospital or clinic preferred
Knowledge of animal diseases, medications and treatment protocols preferred
Experience in handling/reconciling funds preferred

Responsibilities

Provide animals with adequate food, water, exercise, medications, and daily emotional enrichment
Observe, record, and report on animal health and behavior
Maintain animal care records to ensure proper feeding and medicating, and ensure animals receive timely attention from a veterinarian as needed
Handle animals according to Fear Free principles and established safety policies and procedures
Clean and sanitize animal habitats according to the AHS cleaning and disease control protocols
Maintain a clean, safe, and professional environment for the animals and the public
Report building and equipment maintenance concerns promptly
Stock food and supplies, laundry, and dishes on a daily basis
Process deliveries, donations, laundry, and dishes daily or delegate appropriately
Deliver superior customer service to AHS animals, constituents, affiliates, and partners
Collaborate with other departments and volunteers to accomplish departmental and organizational goals
Promote a culture of leadership, respect, and commitment and provide help to others
Provide customers with organizationally approved content such as medical information, behavior profiles, animal care requirements, and adoption package benefits to help clients make good choices
Council potential adopters in accordance with the AHS Adoption Philosophy and Guidelines, complete adoption paperwork, generate receipts, and maintain precise adoption records in the animal management database
Promote and perform sales of retail at the location; report dwindling supplies to management
Promote corporate partner and sponsor products and services to clients such as Purina and VCA
Acts as campus lead through promotion, training, and implementation of the AHS adoption process and AHS Adoption Philosophies and Guidelines
Supports Pets in Crisis Support Program Activity through coordination activities and liaising with PICS program management to provide direct client support
Provide direction and practice inclusion to support volunteer engagement and utilization
Support leadership through positive participation in campus events and services such as pet wellness clinics, and the food and supply pantry.