Canine Care Specialist

Paws With A Cause•Leighton Township, MI

5m•$16 - $17•Onsite

About The Position

Paws With A Cause® (PAWS) We are excited to expand our team and are seeking compassionate and dedicated Canine Care Specialists to join our Breeding Department! If you love puppies and dogs, enjoy working with people, and thrive in a collaborative environment, we invite you to become a vital part of our mission to make a difference. This full-time position offers a rewarding work environment with a supportive culture that values work/life balance. The schedule is Sunday through Wednesday, 7am-5:30pm, with a starting pay range of $15.75-$16.75/hour based on experience. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, Employer Paid Short-term Disability, a 403b Retirement fund with up to a 2% match from PAWS, a generous PTO package, and opportunities for growth within a mission-driven organization. Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of both dogs and people! About Paws With A Cause Paws With A Cause® (PAWS) exists to create opportunities to live with dignity, companionship and confidence. We do our best work by embodying our core values: adaptability, dedication, innovation, optimism and gratitude. To transform lives and strengthen communities through partnerships with custom-trained working dogs. Position Summary The Canine Care Specialist is primarily responsible for supporting the breeding dogs and 8-12 week old puppies on the PAWS campus. For adult breeding dogs, responsibilities include but are not limited to care, enrichment, testing, breeding, and record keeping. For puppies, responsibilities include care, enrichment, and helping the foster puppy department with day of placements. This position will work closely with the Breeding Department Program Manager and Whelping Coordinator to create an appropriate care and enrichment program for the breeding dogs and puppies, and also work closely with on-campus breeding department volunteers.

Requirements

Minimum of High school diploma or GED
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in the breeding department or related experience/training preferred
Must be able to work weekends and some holidays
Customer Orientation: A desire to serve clients by focusing efforts on listening and responding effectively to customer questions, resolving customer problems to their satisfaction, and evaluating customer satisfaction
Reliability: Ability to be dependable, trustworthy, and committed to doing the best job possible
Working under Pressure: Ability to maintain composure when exposed to stress
Team Player: Ability to be an active participate of a team and move the team toward the completion of goals
Task Completion: Ability to complete assigned tasks accurately and efficiently, following set procedures and following up when necessary

Nice To Haves

Optional experience with or willingness to learn blood draws, medicating dogs or livestock or other basic veterinary care
Optional experience with or willingness to learn the breeding of dogs (may include natural breeding, side by side AI, Mavic or TCI breedings)

Responsibilities

Maintain a clean, safe & healthy environment for dogs and puppies
Maintain enrichment programs and support of dogs and puppies
Support breeding processes and production
Maintenance of breeding department supplies
Support on-campus breeding volunteers
Report canine care and welfare concerns following PAWS procedures
Under the direction of the Breeding Program Department Manager, all support for breeding of dogs and 8-12 week old puppies at PAWS, including but not limited to care, enrichment, testing, breeding, and record keeping?
Primarily responsible for kennel care a the maintenance of the breeding department facility, including but not limited to kennels dedicated for dogs at PAWS for breeding?(female and male dedicated kennels, breeding/clearance kennels, and isolation kennels), puppy rooms, enrichment & grooming spaces, and other breeding department spaces and common areas?
Preparation of whelping kits for BHHs ?
Supporting the breeding of the PAWS colony under the direction of the Department Manager
Sanitization, inspection, and inventory of whelping equipment and other equipment returned from Breeding Host Homes
Maintaining inventory of breeding lab and enrichment supplies
Supporting volunteers helping with the breeding department functions
Back-up support for the day-to-day operational needs of dept?
Other duties as assigned
Maintain accessibility and appearance around the breeding and vet departments at the direction of the Breeding Program Department Manager, which could include trash removal and disposal, salting/scraping, and snow removal as necessary
Supporting tangential needs of other departments related to breeding, including but not limited to foster puppy, vet, and advancement departments