Assists the Customer Care Manager and Director of Pet Support in achieving the daily objectives of animal intakes, discharges, lost and found and other related duties. Assists and works with the public in resolving a wide-range of animal-related issues. Aids the organization in achieving goals such as increasing the live release rate and consistently maintaining high standards of animal care and humane handling. Ensures compliance with Humane Rescue Alliance policies and procedures with the District of Columbia contract for services.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Greets every customer and volunteer who enters the New York Avenue facility.
• Provides prompt, courteous service to customers inquiring about DCACC and/or HRA shelter policies and programs, in person and over the phone.
• Schedules intake appointments and performs surrender counseling for customers upon surrender of their pet(s).
• Performs animal care duties such as preparing and cleaning animal spaces and bottle-feeding neonatal kittens when needed.
• Receives and processes paperwork and enters data for animals relinquished and reclaimed at the shelter.
• Ensures that PetPoint is updated for transactions related to animal intake, discharge, adoptions, foster, or any other information pertaining to a particular animal.
• Checks animal inventory and makes sure animals have proper kennel cards and identification.
• Performs basic intake examinations and administers vaccines and other medications, ensuring that information is accurately recorded in PetPoint. Schedules intake and veterinary examinations in PetPoint as needed.
• Arranges the transportation of approved animals to local emergency medical facilities.
• Creates and checks lost reports; assists customers who are seeking lost pets and makes all attempts to reunite lost shelter animals with their owners.
• Maintains the cleanliness of the front desk and lobby area, including a public restroom.
• Notifies Humane Law Enforcement in anytime an animal who arrives at the shelter may be the victim of abuse or neglect. Refers callers to HLE as needed.
• Answers questions for customers interested in adopting and directs them toward animals available for adoption and the adoptions team.
• General office duties to include: answering telephones, data entry; educating the public on the responsibility of companion animal ownership; explaining provisions of the D.C. Animal Control Act to the public; and dispatching calls to animal control field officers, when needed.
• Checks and reads HRA email throughout shift.
• Reports maintenance/repair issues to the Customer Care Supervisor or Director of Intake.
• Completes spay and neuter waivers for HRA animals to be altered at the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center. Schedules shelter and adoption center animals for surgery as needed.
• Provides guidance and assistance to HRA volunteers and community service workers.
• Performs any other duties assigned by supervisor or director.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Excellent customer care and communication skills required, along with knowledge of and experience in handling domestic and wild animals.
• HRA requires all staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption applies. New employees must submit proof of full vaccination, or request for medical or religious exemption, before their first day of work in HRA’s workplace. Employees receiving a medical or religious exemption will be required to submit a weekly, time-stamped, negative COVID test to HR.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to lift 50 pounds unassisted regularly, 50 pounds assisted.
• Ability to perform strenuous physical activity on a daily basis, including but not limited to: lifting and carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, and bending.
• Ability to be comfortable working with cats, dogs, small animals, reptiles, fish and wildlife.
• May be exposed to hostile or abusive members of the public. Must be able to deal with an often times emotion-charged public and carry a fast paced and changing work load which at times can be stressful.
• By nature of the job, there is occasional exposure with dead, injured, sick, unruly, vicious, and/or dangerous animals in addition to exposure to parasites, infectious diseases, unpleasant noises, odors, or sights
• Must be available and willing to work such weekends, holidays, overtime, and attend mandatory training and meetings as the employer determines are necessary or desirable to meet its organizational needs.

Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. A salary premium may be offered for multilingual candidates who demonstrate proficiency in written and oral testing.

HRA is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate because of race, color, creed, gender, religion, national origin, disability, age, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, marital status, citizenship status, or sexual orientation. Accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals requiring them