Kennel Services Advocate

Harbor-House-of-Central-Florid; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Harbor House of Central Florida seeks a Kennel Services Advocate to care for shelter animals, maintain a clean kennel, and ensure humane feeding and care for animals on campus. The role involves outdoor/indoor work, strong communication, crisis intervention, and adherence to safety protocols while coordinating with shelter staff and volunteers to support animals and donors.

Minimum requirements include 2–3 years of animal health experience, a high school diploma or GED, and a valid Florida

Qualifications

• Requires high school diploma or GED; an Associate's degree or higher preferred.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint; ability to learn organization software.

Responsibilities

• Provide water, food, and exercise for kennel animals daily and report issues to shelter management.
• Communicate kennel census and needs with shelter team; submit weekly updates.
• Perform kennel sanitation and maintenance; operate cleaning tools and report issues.
• Transport shelter animals in agency vehicles.
• Monitor animal health; assist with first aid under veterinarian guidance.
• Coordinate with volunteers and oversee kennel-related tasks.
• Maintain inventory of kennel supplies and assist with donations.

Skills

Excellent communication

Microsoft Office

Outdoor/Indoor work

Weekend/Holiday availability

Multi-tasking

Detail-oriented

Crisis intervention

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate's Degree or higher preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Description

JOB SUMMARY: The Kennel Services Advocate provides for the general care, cleanliness and maintenance of the Harbor House kennel and shelter animals. This includes maintaining and operating the kennel in a sanitary and efficient manner as well as ensuring that all necessary services for humane feeding, watering, and caring for animals on the campus are completed.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Assist shelter survivors to ensure all animals in the kennel are provided with water, food and exercise on a consistent basis, working with their owners to ensure compliance. Reports any kennel or animal related issues to shelter management in a timely manner for appropriate action, which includes but is not limited to neglect, mistreatment or inability to follow kennel standards and procedures.
• Communicate with shelter team daily of kennel census, needs, incoming and transitioning animals, and submit the weekly kennel update to management.
• Performs all sanitation and maintenance of kennel facility (kennels, exercise, training areas and grounds) using approved cleaning tools and methods and performs daily/weekly checks of the kennel facilities to identify problems, reporting issues and completing work orders as needed.
• Transports shelter survivors and their pets in agency vehicles.
• Provides continual monitoring of animals housed in the facility and reports any signs of illness or injury immediately. Assisting with emergency first aid and medicating by administering oral, topical, and injectable medications under direction of a licensed veterinarian.
• Works with the development department and will assist with overseeing volunteers who are helping with kennel related tasks.
• Monitor, store, and inventory kennel supplies and replenish as needed. Assists with the inventory, sorting, storage, and distribution of donations/supplies to programs.
• Assist in other areas of shelter programming when kennel census is low.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MARGINAL DUTIES

• This position description has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of essential job duties. Employee(s) will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with various community agencies, coalitions, and agency staff.
• Ability to work outdoors and indoors performing cleaning, maintenance, and canine health care duties.
• Ability to work weekend and holidays as needed.
• Excellent communication and advocacy skills.
• Ability to provide effective and immediate crisis intervention for survivors.
• Ability to clean with detail.
• Ability to perform several tasks concurrently.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to utilize the company golf cart as needed.
• Ability to work with a moderate noise level.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and work independently with little or no supervision conductive to high productivity.
• Ability to work in an environment with many interruptions.
• Proficiency in basic to intermediate computer skills, including Microsoft Office and database software.
• Ability to complete CORE competency training within 30 days of hire.

Requirements

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Some stooping, lifting and bending.
• Talking, hearing, seeing, repetitive motions.
• Regularly work, stand or walk on cement for extended periods of time. The employee may occasionally be required to reach with hands and arms and lift 65 lbs. Ability to restrain active dogs weighing up to 110 lb.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Subject to hazards that can be caused by working with animals and chemicals.
• Exposure to cleaning chemicals and high temperature steam cleaning.
• These requirements may not be all inclusive. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Education: Minimum of a High School Diploma or GED, Associate's Degree or higher preferred.
• Experience: 2-3 years of animal health, nutrition, and humane care experience preferred.
• Discretion: Professional experience may be substituted for formal education at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer.
• Licensing: Valid Florida Driver's License with a clean record for the past 5 years. Must be 21 years or older to meet agency insurance requirements.
• Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Ability to learn organization-specific software, and use standard office and maintenance equipment. .. Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail.
• Training Requirements: Completion of CORE Competency training within 90 days of hire. Additional mandatory training is required on an annual basis per Agency Policies & Procedures.