Adoption Assistant

Job Description:

SUMMARY

Working under the direction of the Animal Care/Adoption Supervisor, incumbent performs routine manual tasks that are essential to maintain the standards and functioning of the Adoption Center. Incumbent also handles various types and breeds of animals with varying degrees of socialization including aggressive and fearful animals while performing tasks related to the care, cleaning, and feeding of the animals. The incumbent is expected to exercise good judgment, independence, initiative, and professional expertise in conducting day-to-day operations. All work duties and activities must be performed in accordance with the City safety rules and operating regulations, policies and procedures as well as federal, state, and local regulations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations

• Performs required and strict disinfecting protocols to reduce spread of zoonotic and contagious diseases. Performs extensive disinfecting upon the threat or confirmation of a disease-causing shelter wide outbreak being brought into the shelter.
• Ensures all animals have the proper food, water, bedding, and toys appropriate for the breed, weight and special conditions of each individual animal and provides enrichment daily for the animals.
• Monitor and assess the behavioral and medical health of all animals daily. Begin treatment for medical conditions within their scope of training and authority. Inform the supervisor of changes in behavior or medical condition outside the scope of authority
• Ability to restrain and handle a variety of species of animals with current standard of humane handling techniques.
• Ability to Assess animal behavior to ensure appropriate and safe handling during daily interactions with animals. Document data on behavior and/or specific handling procedures to ensure the safety of the animal and employee throughout the animals stay at the shelter.
• Use confidential agency database efficiently to process animals for adoption; outcome animals, create receipts and process payment methods. Process the adoption contracts, create receipt and handle payment methods.
• Reviews potential adopter’s animal history, background, and living situation to determine eligibility to adopt. Deny adopters with history of violent offenses or history of animal cruelty.
• Maintains supplies used by adoption center, loads and unloads supplies as necessary
• Becomes Fear Free certified, passes 70% or higher within 30 days of employment
• Assists other divisions as needed;

Communication & Information

• Ability to learn and understand general aspects of animal behavior in order to properly evaluate animals in the adoption program

• Notifies supervisors of animals whose behavior stability is declining and requires intervention.
• Performs duties as an adoption counselor to interpret and understand the desires and limitations of the adopters, taking into account many variables including but not limited to the home environment, adopter expectations, and previous animal experience.
• Counsels adopters on behavioral and medical needs of adoption animals. Explaining basic animal behavior theories in training and management.
• Educates adopters on behavioral resources, husbandry and trouble shoots basic behavior problems.
• Maintains professional demeanor and appearance at all times. Communicates effectively both orally and in writing. Provides excellent customer service to all customers while maintaining integrity and accuracy of the adoption process. Navigate difficult conversations while advocating for the animals.
• Maintain confidentiality of information acquired from databases along with sensitive information on current animal and customers.
• Use confidential agency database efficiently to process animals for adoption; outcome animals, create receipts and process payment methods.
• Answers phones calls and voicemails, returning calls within a timely manner.
• Supports and performs adoption volunteer positions when volunteers are not present.
• Contacts supervisor as questions on procedures arise

MARGINAL FUNCTIONS

• Performs any and all other duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING FACTORS ADOPTION ASSISTANT LEVELS

Adoption Assistant I

• Ability to prioritize and complete tasks and duties related to the daily needs of the adoption center and shelter;
• Ability to assist in restraint or movement of animals throughout in the shelter;
• Educate the public about general animal care, basic behavior, and training methods;
• Provide basic behavioral support for transitioning animals into the home.

Adoption Assistant II

• Possesses all qualifications of Adoption Assistant I and advanced knowledge of Adoption Center operations and is proficient in:
• Navigate conflict with customers while problem solving for the best possible solution;
• Ability to be a handle and restrain fearful animals;
• Perform behavior evaluation for all eligible dogs. Conduct nationally recognized behavior assessments to ensure safe behavioral and medical placements of animals into adoptions, rescue, and transfers. Maintains all records;
• Facilitates dog play group by making appropriate matches based on dog playstyles. Evaluate dogs tolerance levels with other dogs. Effectively separate dogs when in conflicts arise using tools and trained methods;
• Interact adoption dogs with owned dogs to assess compatibility for adoption;
• Handles fearful/aroused/aggressive animals in a humane manner in accordance with National Standards and agency best practices;
• Ability to pass required behavior training at 70% or higher.

Adoption Assistant III

• Possesses all qualifications of Adoption Assistant II and advanced knowledge of Adoption Center operations and is proficient in;
• Facilitating the flow of the adoption department and requests assistance from others when needed to ensure customers are helped in a timely manner when adoption center is at 70% capacity or higher;
• Assists with the training of other staff and volunteers in the Adoption Department;
• Is required to maintain the full business functioning of the adoption office in the absence of the adoption supervisor;
• Gather information and accurately provide guidance for basic training challenges (potty training, acclimation period etc) in the home;
• Follow up with difficult to place adopted animals at regular intervals, collect and maintain data in shelter database;
• Discuss and disclose previous animal bites in detail to adopters. Discussing details at length.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

The incumbent is responsible to manage their performance in accordance with this job description and the performance expectations provided to them by management. If at any time the incumbent is unsure of their role or specific responsibilities, it is the incumbent’s responsibility to refer to their job description and ask for clarification from their supervisor. Management will work with the incumbent, as needed, to ensure performance expectations are clearly communicated and performance goals are achieved.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED);
• Obtain and maintain current tetanus vaccinations within 1 year of employment.
• One-year experience in an animal shelter (preferred) or an animal related profession;

OTHER KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and/or ABILITIES

• Knowledge of domestic animal behavior including general breed specific behavior.
• Knowledge of common medications and vaccinations
• Knowledge of animal care such as feeding, cleaning, disinfecting.
• Ability to pass post-offer screening for this position.
• Ability to attend, complete and pass all required training.
• Ability to read and follow instructions, perform basic computer tasks, and perform simple math;
• Ability to maintain a high standard of customer service and apply skills of conflict resolution when necessary;
• Ability to maintain a good public image and assist the public with inquiries, counseling and making decisions as necessary regarding placement of animals in homes.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization. The incumbent must be courteous, attentive and precise when answering the telephone, dispatching information to citizens, businesses, or City personnel.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Valid Driver's License if a City vehicle is used.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this job.