Boston Adoption Center - Temporary Animal Welfare Specialist

MSPCA-Angell; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

MSPCA-Angell’s Boston Adoption Center is seeking a Temporary Animal Welfare Specialist to support adoption and surrender services. The role balances hands-on animal care with customer interactions in a fast-paced environment.

The position is full-time, on-site, with weekend days required. You will work across multiple levels of AWS roles, delivering compassionate service and contributing to the center's mission to place thousands of animals annually.

Qualifications

• 1 year of experience in a client care or customer service position
• Spanish proficiency is encouraged

Responsibilities

• Care for animals at the adoption center, including exercise, food, water, enrichment and medications.
• Clean the adoption center rooms and cages.
• Participate in trainings and team discussions on behavior plans for all animals
• Provide in-depth adoption counseling to potential adopters for best match
• Provide empathetic surrender counseling and discuss alternatives when available

Job description

Boston Adoption Center - Temporary Animal Welfare Specialist

• Posted on September 22, 2026

Locations

Showing 1 location

MSPCA Headquarters
Boston, MA 02130, USA

• On-site
• Hourly Range : $17.18 USD to $28.87 USD
• Rate : $20 USD per hour
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: BOSTO004129

Description

This is a temporary full-time 40 hour a week position, with required weekend days.

THE POSITION:

We are looking for a candidate for a temporary assignment who can deliver compassionate client service in a fast-paced environment for people looking to adopt or surrender. In the Animal Welfare Specialist role, you are often the first point of contact for pet families in need. You will spend part of your day hands-on with the animals at the adoption center and part of the day assisting the public with adoptions and surrenders.

The Animal Welfare Specialist (AWS) position at MSPCA-Angell offers a clear path for professional development through three progressive levels: AWS, AWS 2, and Lead AWS. Each level reflects increased knowledge in animal care and behavior, greater ability to support more complex client interactions, and opportunities to mentor and assist in training new team members. Advancement through these levels is tied to both responsibility and hourly compensation, providing meaningful opportunities for growth within the role, all while contributing to our compassionate, mission-driven culture.

Some job responsibilities include:

• Caring for animals at the adoption center, including the provision of exercise, food, water, enrichment and medications.
• Cleaning the adoption center rooms and cages.
• Participating in trainings and team discussions on behavior plans for all animals

Providing in-depth adoption counseling through thoughtful conversations with potential adopters to ensure the best match and outcomes for the animal and owner

• Providing judgement free, empathetic surrender counseling to owners, and discussing alternative paths to surrender whenever available

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS:

We are looking for applicants with at least one year of experience in a customer service/client care position. Previous animal experience is a plus! Applicants should also demonstrate excellent judgment, interpersonal skills and an eagerness to support the human-animal bond.

Applicants with a proficiency in Spanish are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please detail your customer service experience and any animal care experience you have in your cover letter.

WHO WE ARE:

The MSPCA is the largest animal welfare organization in New England- caring for and placing over 12,000 animals annually across our four adoption centers and caring for over 14,000 animals in our community clinics. For our adoption centers, we aim to help the greatest number of animals by upholding an open adoption philosophy and moving pets through the shelter effectively while maintaining a commitment to socially conscious sheltering. For our community clinics we work to provide access to low cost veterinary care that helps keep families together with their pets. At our Boston Adoption Center, we care for over 2,000 animals each year with a 92% live release rate. Take a virtual tour of our adoption center!

Qualifications

Preferred

Some Knowledge

Experience

Required

1 year: Experience in a client care or customer service position

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.