Integrated Care Assistant (Animal Care)

ASPCA•New York, NY

34d•$23

About The Position

If you are passionate about delivering high-quality care for animals who have been victims of cruelty and neglect, and you thrive in a fast-paced, team environment, the position of Integrated Care Assistant (ICA) at the Animal Recovery Center may be for you. The Animal Recovery Center recovers and rehabilitates animals admitted through NYPD and ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) and Community Engagement (CE) programs. This facility is dedicated to recovering and rehabilitating dogs and cats who have suffered physical and emotional trauma and delivers medical and behavioral interventions to prepare them for adoption or return to the owner when appropriate. AICAs support the behavioral and medical recovery and rehabilitation of animals in the ARC by providing medical treatments and behavioral enrichment and interventions, including during all animal care activities. AICAs interact with animals during their recovery to detect potential problems or changes in their medical or behavioral progress and communicate those effectively to clinical professionals, administer medications, provide daily care, engage in behavioral enrichment activities, and document/maintain records of all activities. One of the most critical functions of this role is serving as a member of a team of medical, behavior and sheltering personnel, all dedicated to working together to provide holistic care for all our animals.

Requirements

Ability to maintain open mind regarding changes and be willing to learn, implement, and teach new protocols
Ability to walk, bend, stand and reach constantly during a minimum 8-hour day, ability to lift 50 lbs
Ability to work closely with behaviorally and medically compromised animals and feel comfortable working in an environment where euthanasia is performed
Able to safely walk and handle dogs 100 lbs or over, up and down stairs
Always treats people and animals with care and respect; must be a compassionate caregiver for animals and have a genuine interest in working with others
Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Office.
Communicate clearly, written and verbal problem solver who works well under pressure
Dependable and ability to demonstrate regular and reliable attendance.
Excellent organizational skills
Team player and willingness to adjust schedule if operations require
English (Required)
High School Diploma (Required)
Fear Free Shelter or Fear Free Veterinary certification is required within 60 days of hire

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in the detection of common medical ailments, and the stress-free administration of topical and orally administered medications
Previous experience with sheltering software systems and record keeping, including medical records, preferred.
Previous experience working in behavior training facility or in a shelter and/or veterinary setting with compromised animals

Responsibilities

Engage in behavioral and enrichment activities, following enrichment program protocols.
Recommend animal-specific changes to regimen, including frequency, duration, or type.
Assist in behavioral health evaluations, assessments, trainings, and other animal interventions.
Exercise and socialize animals and manage playgroups, under the direction and guidance of the ARC and CARE Behavior team.
Abide by existing dog-walking programs and observe and report reactions with environmental events or human/animal interactions, and/or problems/changes in urination or defecation.
Encourage healthy behaviors and interactions throughout, and reward animals appropriately.
Feed animals, provide clean water, and ensure a clean environment while interacting with animals to encourage and promote healthy behaviors, and detecting, logging, and reporting to the medical and behavior teams any irregularities or changes in animal nutrition, hydration, or behaviors (including responses to your interactions).
Observing animals during these interactions is vital to the recognizing medical and behavioral changes/abnormalities early, maximizing the efficacy of potential treatments.
Monitor the comfort of shelter animals, looking for any signs of distress, anxiety, or physical ailments, and ensure that their physical environment is not resulting in discomfort (e.g., appropriate bedding (clean and fold laundry), space, adverse neighboring animals, including by maintaining the cleanliness of both animal enclosures and other workspaces that facilitate the arrival of new animals.
Always provide safe and smooth fear free handling of animals.
Monitor animal holding areas for appropriate music and/or auditory stimulation and report observations.
Ensure the welfare of animals in our care by attending to their physical and emotional health and comfort, following all ASPCA protocols.
Read and follow all kennel signage and treatment sheets regarding animal treatment and care.
Under the guidance of the ARC medical team, administer medication and medical treatments in a low stress manner, following all medication administration protocols.
Recognize potential medical issues and communicate effectively with medical teams so that they can quickly and effectively attend to animals.
Send timely medical and behavior observation reports and actively engage with the team to implement interventions.
Work in partnership with other teams (Medical, Behavior, and across departments) to continually develop knowledge, and support continuity of care for the animals.
Collaborate with other ICAs, and attend and actively participate in daily ICA rounds, to support the continuity of care for the animals.
Integrate volunteers into daily care, providing guidance and coaching as needed; demonstrate respect and gratitude for volunteer support.
Transport animals, using low-stress animal handling techniques and following applicable organizational policies and protocols, between ASPCA facilities and to partner agencies.
Attend and participate in team meetings and training classes as scheduled.
Deploy locally or nationally as part of an ASPCA response once per year.