Animal Admissions Specialist

SupportFinity™; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Joybound People & Pets is seeking a dedicated team member to help optimize shelter operations. The role focuses on evaluating animals for adoption, managing behavior modification plans, and coordinating Rescue Runs with shelters and volunteers.

You will assist with medical care, maintain accurate records, and support adoption counselors to match animals with adopters, ensuring humane handling and enrichment throughout the process.

Qualifications

• Two years of experience evaluating, rehabilitating, and/or adopting shelter animals.
• Ability to assess health and behavior to determine program eligibility.
• Experience coordinating with shelters, volunteers, and the public.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and admit animals to adoption, mobile, and Shelter-to-Service programs.
• Assist with animal handling, vaccinations, and medical records.
• Develop and implement behavior modification plans and enrichment for shelter animals.
• Support adoption counselors with matches and canine/feline encounters.
• Supervise volunteers and ensure safe handling and humane care.

Skills

Animal evaluation

Behavior modification

Communication

Team collaboration

Driver

Education

High school diploma; Shelter U certification preferred

Tools

Syringes

Vaccination equipment

Job description

Position Summary

Assist with optimizing Joybound's adoption, mobile, and Shelter-to-Service programs by transferring highly adoptable cats and dogs to maximize use of shelter/adoption center space and meet the organization’s placement goals. Execute and modify training and behavior plans in collaboration with the Shelter wellbeing department.

• Interact and communicate with colleagues, volunteers, and the public in a manner that advances a culture of positivity, professionalism, trust, transparency, empathy, and excellence at Joybound.
• Evaluate animals in source shelters and from the community (owner surrenders, found by good Samaritans, strays, etc.) to determine eligibility to enter Joybound's adoption, mobile, and Shelter-to-Service programs with other Rescue staff. Focus on balancing adoption needs and resources available for the rescue of difficult-to-place animals while considering behavior and health of animals in other shelters.
• Act as the point person on Rescue Runs which can include acting as a point of contact between Joybound and the source shelter, reviewing and obtaining source shelter paperwork, ensuring vehicle safety checks are completed and documented, overseeing time management, and more.
• Obtain and evaluate source shelter records, vaccinations, health history, current medications, animal surrender, and behavior notes, to determine eligibility to enter Joybound's programs.
• Manage behavior cases assigned by your supervisor, the Director of Training and Enrichment, or the shelter trainer.
• Check the general health of animals being admitted and assist in the vaccination and treatment of animals.
• Maintain patient records by accurately recording treatments and test results on patient charts and other medical records.
• Ensure cats and dogs with behavior plans have visible instructions or information posted at their condos or rooms.
• Support Joybound’s adoption program:
• Assist Joybound adoption counselors with feline or canine matches, especially regarding animal behavior or specific animal needs.
• Assist adoptions with canine encounters during adoption hours.
• Ensure behavior modification plans are sent home with adopters of pre-identified cats or dogs.
• Execute behavior modification and training plans for assigned dogs and cats as directed by the Director of Training and Enrichment and shelter trainers.
• Develop and implement behavioral enrichment for shelter guests.
• Alert Director of Training and Enrichment, or shelter trainer when problematic behaviors are not resolved, or new behavior concerns require attention.
• Assist with executing behavior, feeding, and walking plans for assigned dogs and cats.
• Conduct dog playgroups for enrichment and gathering information about how the dog responds to people and other dogs when off-leash in an enclosed area.
• Assist with dog introductions for co-housing dogs on the adoption floor. Giving dogs a 'roommate' provides them with social enrichment which may alleviate boredom and stress, increasing their likelihood of adoption.
• Supervise volunteers who assist with behavior modification plans for assigned dogs and cats.
• Observe shelter guests for any unusual clinical signs that may be indicative of a medical or behavioral problem and report to the appropriate supervisor.
• Learn and use proper handling techniques for Joybound shelter guests and make certain that all animals are handled, housed, and socialized humanely and safely.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all information.
• Comply with all Federal, State, and local safety regulations and laws, as well as Joybound policies and guidelines. Follow established procedures governing safe work practices; and perform duties in a manner that assures the safety of oneself and others.
• Drive Joybound vehicles as assigned by the supervisor and follow safe driving practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including occasional assistance with animal care duties or with adoptions.

Principal Duties

• Interact and communicate with colleagues, volunteers, and the public in a manner that advances a culture of positivity, professionalism, trust, transparency, empathy, and excellence at Joybound.
• Evaluate animals in source shelters and from the community (owner surrenders, found by good Samaritans, strays, etc.) to determine eligibility to enter Joybound's adoption, mobile, and Shelter-to-Service programs with other Rescue staff. Focus on balancing adoption needs and resources available for the rescue of difficult-to-place animals while considering behavior and health of animals in other shelters.
• Act as the point person on Rescue Runs which can include acting as a point of contact between Joybound and the source shelter, reviewing and obtaining source shelter paperwork, ensuring vehicle safety checks are completed and documented, overseeing time management, and more.
• Obtain and evaluate source shelter records, vaccinations, health history, current medications, animal surrender, and behavior notes, to determine eligibility to enter Joybound's programs.
• Manage behavior cases assigned by your supervisor, the Director of Training and Enrichment, or the shelter trainer.
• Check the general health of animals being admitted and assist in the vaccination and treatment of animals.
• Maintain patient records by accurately recording treatments and test results on patient charts and other medical records.
• Ensure cats and dogs with behavior plans have visible instructions or information posted at their condos or rooms.
• Support Joybound’s adoption program:
• Assist Joybound adoption counselors with feline or canine matches, especially regarding animal behavior or specific animal needs.
• Assist adoptions with canine encounters during adoption hours.
• Ensure behavior modification plans are sent home with adopters of pre-identified cats or dogs.
• Execute behavior modification and training plans for assigned dogs and cats as directed by the Director of Training and Enrichment and shelter trainers.
• Develop and implement behavioral enrichment for shelter guests.
• Alert Director of Training and Enrichment, or shelter trainer when problematic behaviors are not resolved, or new behavior concerns require attention.
• Assist with executing behavior, feeding, and walking plans for assigned dogs and cats.
• Conduct dog playgroups for enrichment and gathering information about how the dog responds to people and other dogs when off-leash in an enclosed area.
• Assist with dog introductions for co-housing dogs on the adoption floor. Giving dogs a 'roommate' provides them with social enrichment which may alleviate boredom and stress, increasing their likelihood of adoption.
• Supervise volunteers who assist with behavior modification plans for assigned dogs and cats.
• Observe shelter guests for any unusual clinical signs that may be indicative of a medical or behavioral problem and report to the appropriate supervisor.
• Learn and use proper handling techniques for Joybound shelter guests and make certain that all animals are handled, housed, and socialized humanely and safely.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all information.
• Comply with all Federal, State, and local safety regulations and laws, as well as Joybound policies and guidelines. Follow established procedures governing safe work practices; and perform duties in a manner that assures the safety of oneself and others.
• Drive Joybound vehicles as assigned by the supervisor and follow safe driving practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including occasional assistance with animal care duties or with adoptions.

Qualifications

• Work environment includes constant exposure to dogs and cats and their allergens.
• Push/pull moderately heavy objects up to 25 pounds.
• Lift and move objects and animals weighing up to 50 pounds for short distances and humanely restrain animals when necessary.
• Able to use small hospital equipment such as syringes to administer treatments and vaccines.
• Walk dogs weighing up to 150 pounds in a variety of weather conditions.
• Kneel, bend, stoop, squat, reach above and below shoulder level, grasp and turn objects, and stand and/or walk frequently and repetitively throughout each shift.
• Flex the neck upward and downward; twist the neck and the waist.
• Dexterity to handle animals and small objects.
• Assess medical and behavior changes in animals using a variety of techniques including, but not limited to, visually and audibly.
• Sit for long and short periods using a computer.
• Tetanus and rabies inoculations are required or must be waived.
• Drive a large automobile for an extended period.

Education Requirements

• High school diploma; Training certification or Shelter U certification preferred.
• Experience, Abilities, and Qualities Required:
• Two (2) years' experience evaluating, rehabilitating, and/or adopting shelter animals.
• Two (2) years' experience working directly with a wide range of cats and dogs.
• Experience in caring for and handling animals in a safe, effective, and humane manner, especially larger and untrained pets.
• Knowledge of various dog and cat breeds, behavior, and current general care and training practices.
• Demonstrated practice of reading canine and feline body language with working knowledge of counterconditioning and desensitization techniques.
• Comfortable and skilled in working with a culturally diverse staff, volunteers, and community.
• Must have a valid California Driver's License and must not have more than two at-fault incidents in three years and no major at-fault violations in the last ten years and must be insured.
• Pre-employment background check screening required.

Hours

Daily reporting hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the division. Weekend, Holiday, and evening work may be required; as well as some overnight travel.

About the company

Joybound People & Pets