Position Description
Under the supervision of Kennel Coordinator, the Kennel Technician provides exceptional animal care and leadership to the kennel team at Pet Place caring for the basic needs of animals being housed at St. Croix Animal Welfare Center’s adoption center. The Kennel Technician provides excellent customer service to the public and fosters a welcoming environment for visitors and customers. The incumbent will also handle retail merchandising for pet supplies being sold at Pet Place including managing inventory, display, ordering, and reports. The Kennel Technician must have a love of animals, concern for animal welfare, and demonstrated ability to supervise employees and volunteers to success.
Role and Responsibilities
- Observe animal appearance and activity for general physical condition, obvious signs of illness, disease, and discontent. Report any concerns to Supervisor. Medical concerns should also be reported Shelter Medical Coordinator and medical emergencies should be immediately reported to Veterinarian.
- Thoroughly clean and disinfect runs or cages as often as necessary to ensure none are soiled and strong odors are not apparent.
- Provide the appropriate type and amount of food to animals at designated intervals.
- Handle animals with safety in mind. Report any animal behavioral concerns to Supervisor.
- Provide daily exercise, enrichment, grooming, attention, and outdoor time for elimination of bowels and bladder. (Exercise in the play area for cats and kittens)
- Assist with adoption of animals when needed.
- Make sure cages and animals are properly labelled.
- Wash and dry towels and toys. Wash and sterilize food and water bowls. Perform general cleaning in kennel and other areas as required, including trash and stool removal.
- Organize kennel supplies such as newspaper, litter, food, towels, and toys.
- Assist in maintaining the cleanliness of facility grounds, with special attention to animal stool removal.
- Assist Shelter Medical Coordinator with the administration of vaccines, dewormers, fecal floats, and other medical care for animals at Pet Place upon request. Ensure that any medical treatments administered are recorded in a timely and accurate manner in shelter software. The Kennel Technician shall not perform any medical care beyond their skill and training and will seek guidance and oversight from Shelter Medical Coordinator or Veterinarian for such care as needed.
- Creatively address animal husbandry and enrichment. Solve issues proactively with sometimes limited resources.
- Ensure biosecurity protocols for animals with contagious/infectious illness.
- Handle retail merchandising for pet care products and other merchandise sold at Pet Place including inventory management, ordering, display, pricing, and reporting.
- Provide excellent customer service to the public, using discretion as required and promote excellent customer service amongst all team members.
- Other animal care related duties as assigned by Supervisor.
Requirements
- No criminal convictions or injunctions at the local, state and/or national level which could demonstrate an inability to carry out the agency’s mission or programs.
- Upholds the ethical standards of the agency.
- Follows policies and procedures of the agency.
- Must work holidays and weekends as required to fulfill workload requirements.
- Must have reliable means of communication when outside of the workplace and reliable transportation to and from the agency.
Physical Demands
This position often requires lifting and carrying materials and animals weighing up to 50 lbs. Walking, standing, and/or for long periods are common, including leash walking and restraining large and strong animals that pull and jump. May be required to use strength and agility in capturing and restraining active animals. May be exposed to contagions such as tetanus, ring worm, and others.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics can be stressful, fast-paced and requires alertness and flexibility. The noise level can accelerate to moderate and high levels. The St. Croix Animal Welfare Center operates seven days per week, 365 days per year. The work schedule will vary based on the needs of the organization and will include evenings and weekends when necessary to meet the organization’s needs.
St. Croix Animal Welfare Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $12.00 per hour
Expected hours: 30 – 40 per week
Work Location: In person