Dog & Cat Care Specialist

Kauai Humane Society

Dog & Cat Care Specialist

Why work at the Kauai Humane Society? We love our animals, AND our staff too: amazing benefits, fun and funny team members, and rewarding work!

KHS is doing wonderful things for Kauai’s animals and our community, and we want YOU to become a part of our O’hana!

Candidates already living on Kauai / a Hawaiian island and who have secured housing within 2 weeks are strongly preferred and will be given first consideration for positions.

Overview

The Kauai Humane Society (KHS) seeks a full-time position for Dog & Cat Care Specialist. The Dog & Cat Care Specialist feeds, cleans, and provides enrichment to the cats and dogs at KHS. This position requires working positively in a team environment with other Dog & Cat Care Specialists to ensure cleaning procedures are performed following all sanitation protocols.

The Dog & Cat Care Specialist role requires a person dedicated to hard physical work to ensure the animals at Kauai Humane Society receive the highest level of care, starting with clean kennels, appropriate feeding and enrichment, and exercise & socialization. The role of Dog & Cat Care Specialist is key to helping our animals stay physically and mentally healthy until they find adoptive homes or rescue placement.

Dog & Cat Care Specialist Qualifications:

• 1 year of experience in a client services/customer support industry is required.
• Experience handling cats and dogs is strongly preferred.
• Competency in using Google Suite products (Gmail, Google Docs and Sheets) or Microsoft Word and Excel is strongly preferred.
• High School graduate or GED equivalent is required.

Dog & Cat Care Specialist Essential Job Functions:

• Must be able to professionally and calmly deal with an emotionally charged public as well as carry a fast-paced and changing workload, which at times can be stressful.
• Support the Behavior Specialist and Volunteer Department in monitoring or running dogs to dog playgroups, preparing or distributing enrichment items, working on specific behavior improvement of certain cats or dogs, and other duties as assigned and as capacity allows following core ACT duties’ completion.
• Established timeframes for exercise and enrichment activities
• Clean and ensure disinfection of animal equipment such as dishes, bedding, toys, litter pans, and other items used in animal areas.
• Provide basic care and cleaning as described above for Boarding customer’s personal cats and dogs staying at the facility.
• Opportunities to eliminate/have elimination removed or cleaned
• Organize and declutter animals areas to ensure animals maintain housing areas free from contagion spread.
• Properly measured feedings and frequent waterings
• Ensure cats and dogs receive basic care and perform this care at established times every day, including:
  • Properly measured feedings and frequent waterings
  • Opportunities to eliminate/have elimination removed or cleaned
  • Established timeframes for exercise and enrichment activities
  • Bathing and grooming dogs and grooming cats as needed
• Disinfect or spot clean animal cages daily at established times.
• Must agree to work in an environment that, by nature of the industry, understands there may be occasional exposure to injured, sick, deceased and/or difficult animals with varying health concerns.
• Input information on animal location, improvements to socialization and training, and other wellness data into online shelter software.
• Assist with showcasing cats and dogs to potential adopters, and help with dog-to-dog introductions.
• Bathing and grooming dogs and grooming cats as needed
• Other duties as assigned.

Dog & Cat Care Specialist Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to stand, walk, bend and stoop frequently and daily to perform duties.
• Must be able to chase or run after animals that might escape confinement.
• The majority of dogs you will handle at KHS are 50+ lbs with strong pulling on the leash behavior and require confident handling.
• Must be able to perform prolonged strenuous physical activity, including lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds alone or up to 100 pounds with the help of fellow employees for short distances.
• Must be able to work with both dogs and cats of varying sizes, breeds, and temperaments.
  • The majority of dogs you will handle at KHS are 50+ lbs with strong pulling on the leash behavior and require confident handling.
• Full vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly preferred.

Job Type: Full-time, 40 hours/week, with at least 1, if not both weekend days, (Saturdays and Sundays) being a required part of the weekly schedule. Shifts rotate between 6am-2:30pm through 9:30am-6pm. Some holidays will be required.

Wage starts at: $16.50/hour