Animal Care Technician - Humane Society Pikes Peak Region

Looking to make a difference in the lives of pets and people? With an almost year-round beautiful blue sky and a scenic mountain backdrop, HSPPR is a nonprofit animal shelter serving El Paso, Pueblo, and Douglas Counties as well as the City of Centennial. We employ a total of 200+ employees. We are an organization that celebrates and prioritizes diversity and inclusion.

*This job posting will close on Wednesday, July 3, 2024*

Job Summary

The Animal Care Technician provides care for the daily needs of all animals within the shelter, including maintaining animal enclosures so they are clean and sanitary; ensuring appropriate feeding; identifying sick or injured animals; assisting in the humane euthanasia process; working cohesively with coworkers, other departments, and volunteers; and assisting the public in a professional manner. The Animal Care Technician ensures an environment of compassionate and respectful animal and people care in accordance with HSPPR's mission, values, goals, and management philosophy.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Daily Animal Care

• Adheres to high quality standards of animal care, handling, and sanitation and performance is consistent with protocols, including but not limited to ensuring that animals are fed according to dietary instructions; cleaning and disinfecting of animal enclosures, dishes and other equipment used; completing laundry duties; assists with the flow and movement of the animal population.
• Assists with the humane euthanization of animals as well as proper care and disposal of deceased animals.
• Responsible for identifying sick or injured animals and reporting information in a timely manner.
• Assists with intake exams, serving as runner, restrainer, and additional support as needed.
• Assists with incoming and outgoing loading of animals being transferred to other animal welfare agencies.
• Maintains food storage, chemical storage, laundry room and food prep areas in a clean, uncluttered, and sanitary manner.
• Maintains and updates animal records in database accordingly.
• Checks inventory of animals daily to ensure correct animal, correct ID collar, and correct kennel cards are present, reporting any unresolved discrepancies to the Animal Care Supervisors.
• Participates in activities to improve the animals' wellbeing while in HSPPR's care.
• Demonstrates safety protocols for volunteers to ensure consistent humane treatment and handling of animals.

Relationships

• Cultivates and maintains relationships with peers and volunteers.
• Supports staff and volunteers; provide quality services to clients, volunteers, and employees, recognizing their individual contributions to the success of our organization.

Communication

• Communicates issues and concerns to the Animal Care Supervisors.
• Communicates effectively with staff and volunteers so pertinent parties are informed of animal care issues/information.
• Documents staff and volunteer complaints. Handles complaints and/or concerns with professionalism and good judgment. Involves Animal Care Manager as necessary.
• Communicates with and provides regular feedback and/or coaching to volunteers in a professional and timely manner.
• Informs Animal Care Manager of developments that may affect HSPPR or the department including department progress, media exposure, public image, client concerns, and personnel issues.

Fiscal Responsibility

• Properly maintains equipment used.
• Restocks all supply items daily. Reports need for ordering, maintenance, and inventory of supplies and equipment.
• Plans and organizes in anticipation of future needs.

Other

• Commitment to the mission, values, goals and success of HSPPR.
• Appropriately documents observed animal behaviors utilizing objective language as required in relevant procedures and/or policies.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Duties

• None

Physical Demands

• Regularly sits at computer station, often in a shared office environment.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move 25 or more pounds of moving weight and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 or more pounds of moving weight.
• Occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and smell.
• Regularly required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, hear, and is frequently required to stand and walk. May be expected to be on feet for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to use both hands and arms to grip, pull and push utilizing safety equipment such as, but not limited to catch poles, snappy snares, leashes, ropes, muzzles.
• Consistently exposed to animals in the workplace and animal allergens under conditions with limited alternatives available.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.
• Must handle various animals of various sizes, including aggressive animals
• Exposed to zoonotic diseases.
• Regularly exposed to noise and potential exposure to hazardous weather conditions.
• Potential exposure to cleaning supplies and/or other substances containing toxic or caustic chemicals.

Schedule Requirements

• Schedule may include weekend and holiday work.

Education/Experience Necessary

• Previous animal shelter, boarding kennel, zookeeping, or veterinary clinic experience desired.

The core values of the staff unite us and guide us to provide the best service to the animals in our care, our organization, and our community.

Core Values Statements-

• • Compassion: We believe that animals matter. We are committed to treating animals and people with kindness, respect, and compassion.

• • Stewardship: We are accountable and transparent in our actions and in the use of our resources to build trust in those we serve.

• • Integrity: We believe we can make the greatest impact by staying true to our mission, always doing what is best for the animals and people of our community, and by standing united in our decisions.

• • Excellence: We are passionate about our mission, and strive for excellence through continual learning, innovation, and the development of our board, staff and volunteers.

• • Collaboration: We seek strategic partnerships and alliances to advance the welfare and protection of animals and people.

• • Service: We exist to serve our communities and operate with this commitment to serve as front and center in all we do.