Adoptions Specialist

Humane-Society-of-Huron-Valle; Dixboro (MI); On-site; USD 19,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

The Adoption Specialist provides client service and animal adoption counseling at the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV), including at the Tiny Lions Cat Cafe. This role requires a highly motivated, outgoing, polite individual with a professional manner with the public, both in person and on the phone.

It emphasizes teamwork, strong customer service, and the ability to handle a fast-paced, emotionally challenging environment.

Qualifications

• A highly motivated, out-going, polite individual with a professional manner with the public, both in person and on the phone.
• A team player, able to work in a fast-pace environment and handle several tasks at once.
• Basic computer skills in a Windows environment.
• Knowledge of animal breeds and behavior helpful.
• Sincere interest in animal welfare and the mission of the Humane Society of Huron Valley.

Responsibilities

• Adoption Counseling and Support Services: Represents HSHV professionally, facilitates client/animal interactions, informs clients of adoption processes and animal availability, discusses medical/behavioral history, provides educational materials, promotes training and resources, assists with paperwork and holds, and maintains customer relationships.
• Client Service and Reception: Welcomes visitors, handles phones and emails, processes adoption paperwork and transactions, updates databases, manages holds and logistics, and prepares adopter materials.
• Paws to Shop Retail Store: Assists customers in-store and at café retail shop with product information and transactions.
• Animal Care Duties: Treats animals humanely, assists with daily care tasks, and supports shelter animal welfare.
• Shelter Operations and Maintenance: Manages shelter spaces, assists with donations, and maintains café and front desk operations.
• Other Duties: Supports organizational goals and attends trainings and meetings.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Team player

Basic computer skills

Emotional regulation

Empathy

Public interaction

Tools

Windows OS

Job description

Hours: Full-time or Part-time, requires weekend and some holiday availability

Classification: Non-exempt, Hourly

Responsibilities: None

SUMMARY

The Adoption Specialist provides client service and animal adoption counseling at the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV), including at the Tiny Lions Cat Cafe.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

A highly motivated, out-going, polite individual with a professional manner with the public, both in person and on the phone. A team player, able to work in a fast-pace environment and handle several tasks at once. Basic computer skills in a Windows environment. Knowledge of animal breeds and behavior helpful. Sincere interest in animal welfare and the mission of the Humane Society of Huron Valley.

An animal care facility can be an emotionally challenging, high-stress, rapidly changing, and high-demand environment. Feelings of grief and loss, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue are not uncommon. As such, working at HSHV requires a high degree of emotional regulation and resilience; the ability to tolerate and manage stress; adaptability to change; empathy for both animals and people; and an overall positive outlook.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Adoption Counseling and Support Services

• Represents HSHV in a professional and courteous manner at all times.
• Facilitates client/animal interactions to ensure a safe and pleasant experience.
• Informs clients of adoption processes and animal availability
• Discusses animal medical and behavioral history.
• Supplies potential adopters with educational materials, including information on behavior modification (if applicable), and any accurate and useful information consistent with HSHV policies regarding responsible pet ownership.
• Fits pets for collars and Easy Walk/Freedom harnesses
• Promotes positive reinforcement training techniques.
• Identifies and recommends HSHV resources and services including Dog Training Classes, Humane Education Programs, and Veterinary Clinic.
• Actively promotes HSHV’s mission, services, programs, and events.
• Develops relationships with customers and provides a positive experience for our clients by practicing HSHV’s Ten Principles of Great Customer Service.

Client Service and Reception

• Welcomes and directs visiting clients.
• Answers and directs incoming phones calls and emails.
• Accurately and efficiently processes adoption paperwork, monetary transactions, and receipts.
• Performs cash handling tasks and duties.
• Performs key administrative steps in the move-to-adoptions process, including updating databases and entering memos for public-facing animal information.
• Review and manage holds, including cage signage, database system updates and accuracy reviews, and follow-up calls/communication and scheduling with potential adopters.
• Prepare, organize, and supply adopter materials, including paperwork, informational materials, and supplies.
• Review and respond to survey responses in Maddie’s Pet Assistant.
• Daily social media posts on several social media sites
• Maintains a clean, organized, and well-stocked workspace.

Paws to Shop Retail Store

• Complete monetary transactions
• Assists clients in Paws to Shop Retail Store and Tiny Lions Cat Café Retail Shop by providing product information.

Animal Care Duties

• Treats animals humanely and with respect, following the highest standards for animal care and handling.
• Completes some daily care tasks for animals as needed, including walking dogs, changing cat litter pans, feeding cats, etc.
• Follows the highest standards for preventing the spread of contagious disease.
• Work with volunteers to coordinate daily care of animals (including dog walking, enrichment, cleaning, feeding, etc.)

Shelter Operations and Maintenance

• Operates laundry machines and organizes laundry used in shelter as needed; distributes bedding throughout shelter.
• Distributes HSHV in-kind donations for shelter use.
• Provides excellent care to cats at the café in accordance with same animal care standards at the shelter, with the additional considerations of the café space, including:
  • Helping new cats acclimate to the café environment
  • Ensure all cats are comfortable and content in the café setting
  • Ensure cats are properly cared for and report any concerning behavior or sign of illness to the café café coordinator and/or appropriate communication channels, including entering information in shelter software
• Facilitates adoptions of cats at the Café, using similar processes and standards as the main shelter
  • Maintains a thorough knowledge of cats available for adoption
  • Schedules adoptions meetings, with intention to maintain cat levels at the café for special events, while also seeking to keep length of stay for cats minimal
• Runs the front desk of the café, including:
  • Providing excellent customer service, while upholding rules and standards of the café
  • Greeting all visitors warmly, welcoming them to the café and providing information about their visit
  • Processing payments for visitors, adoptions, and retail purchases
  • Accept monetary and in-kind donations
  • Track reservations and the number of visitors in the café, ensuring the café remains at or below capacity
  • Answer phones and direct calls
  • Providing information about special activities and events, and other HSHV resources
• Keeps Cat Café space clean and well organized by working with volunteers and following checklists and cleaning standards for public and staff/volunteer only spaces, including cleaning up after cats (scooping litter boxes, clean food/water dishes, etc.)

Other Duties

• Actively supports the advancement of HSHV goals and mission.
• Attends and participates in HSHV training programs as assigned.
• Attend agency staff meetings. Read email on a daily basis and respond as appropriate.
• Maintain awareness of SOPs and policies established in other shelter departments and how they pertain to/affect the FOH staff and animals.
• Follows all safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment and take immediate action to address any safety concerns.
• Other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work is performed in an animal kennel environment and office environment. You will be exposed to disinfectant solutions while cleaning. You will be consistently exposed to animals and animal allergens, including animal hair, dander, saliva, fecal matter, urine, zoonotic diseases, fleas and other mites or bugs. Subject to animal bites and scratches while handling animals. While performing this job, you will be required to continually walk, stand, squat, twist, and kneel, reach and grab with your hands and arms, in addition to being able to lift and move animals, materials and equipment weighing 40 lbs or more.

MENTAL DEMANDS

While performing this job, you will be regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; observe and interpret situations; analyze and solve problems; learn and apply new information and skills; perform repetitive work on multiple, concurrent tasks; interact with staff, the public, volunteers and others encountered in the course of work. You will be exposed to animals’ pain and suffering and must be able to handle occasional volatile situations.

Please note: This job description reflects the assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Humane Society of Huron Valley is an at-will employer.