Animal/Kennel Care Manager

Animal Care Supervisor

Classification: Non-Exempt

Reports to: Shelter Manager

Department: Animal Care and Enrichment

Date of Revision: December 31, 2024

Summary

The Animal Care Supervisor oversees daily operations related to animal care and welfare at the shelter. This position ensures animals receive proper nutrition, medical care, and clean-living environments while maintaining adherence to shelter protocols and standards. Responsibilities include supervising animal care staff, scheduling shifts, monitoring animal health and behavior, and coordinating with veterinary teams. The supervisor also assists with training staff, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and supporting adoption efforts by maintaining a high standard of care to improve animal outcomes. Strong leadership, organizational skills, and a passion for animal welfare are essential.

1. Length of Stay Management

• Data Analysis: Monitor and analyze length-of-stay data to identify trends and areas for improvement. This involves tracking how long animals stay in the shelter before being adopted or transferred, identifying potential bottlenecks (e.g., adoption processes, medical issues), and adjusting strategies accordingly.
• Improvement Strategies: Collaborate with adoption, foster, and intake teams to reduce the length of stay for animals while maintaining optimal placement outcomes.
• Behavioral and Medical Support: Oversee initiatives to address behavioral or medical issues that could prolong an animal's stay, including working with trainers, veterinarians, and behaviorists to create action plans for improvement.

2. Enrichment Programs

• Animal Welfare and Enrichment: Ensure that the shelter provides adequate mental, physical, and emotional stimulation for the animals in its care. This may include regular playtime, enrichment toys, socialization opportunities, and creating a comfortable, low-stress environment.
• Volunteer and Staff Involvement: Train and coordinate staff and volunteers to implement enrichment activities for animals, such as dog walking, playgroups, or interactive toys.
• Individualized Care Plans: Working with the Animal Enrichment Lead, develop enrichment plans for animals with specific needs, such as puppies, senior pets, or animals with behavioral challenges, ensuring that each animal receives the necessary stimulation and care to thrive in a shelter environment.

3. Collaboration and Team Leadership

• Team Management: Lead a team of staff and volunteers to ensure smooth shelter operations. Provide support, motivation, and guidance to team members who are involved in foster care, transfers, enrichment activities, and length-of-stay management.
• Cross-Department Coordination: Work closely with veterinary, adoption, and intake teams to ensure animals are properly evaluated, given medical care, and appropriately placed in foster homes or transferred to other shelters when needed.
• Advocacy and Outreach: Promote the shelter’s foster programs, transfer efforts, and enrichment activities through outreach, social media, and community partnerships to build awareness and support for the shelter’s mission.

4. Best Practice Implementation

• Education: Stay informed on industry best practices in animal sheltering and welfare, incorporating them into daily operations.
• Training and Auditing: Provide training to staff and volunteers on new protocols and procedures.
• Provide Input: Help to develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for animal care and shelter operations.

5*. Building Compliance and Safety*

• Standards: Ensure the shelter complies with all local, state, and federal regulations, including zoning, health, and safety standards.
• Inspections: Conduct regular inspections of facilities and equipment, addressing maintenance needs promptly.
• Data Compliance: Maintain accurate records related to compliance, health, and safety inspections.

6. Foster Program Support

• Recruitment & Training: Support efforts to recruit, train, and retain foster families for animals in need of temporary homes. This includes educating foster caregivers about the shelter’s protocols and animal care practices.
• Support & Communication: Provide ongoing support for foster families, ensuring they have the resources, guidance, and assistance needed to care for animals in their homes.
• Placement & Follow-up: Support the Foster program to match animals with appropriate fosters based on temperament, age, and medical needs, and maintain regular check-ins to monitor the animal’s progress and well-being.

7. Transfer Programs

• Partner Collaboration: Build relationships with other shelters, rescues, and rescue groups to facilitate the transfer of animals. This may involve identifying shelters with more space or resources and arranging for transport and intake.
• Maximizing Lifesaving Opportunities: Coordinate with external partners to increase the chances of successful placement for animals, particularly those who may be struggling with long stays in the shelter or those with specific behavioral or medical challenges.
• Logistics & Records: Oversee the logistics of transfers, ensuring that proper documentation, medical records, and behavioral history are provided to receiving shelters or rescue organizations.

Competencies

· Customer Oriented

· Detail Oriented

· Goal oriented

· Leadership

· Management skills

· Problem solving

· Reliability

· Team Building

Supervisory Responsibility

Ø This position has the authority to:

· Direct supervision of 10 - 15 staff members.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions; accommodation is not reasonable if it imposes undue financial or administrative burdens on the employer or requires a fundamental alteration to the nature of the job.

Identify the percentage of time an incumbent is exposed to the following work conditions using following standards:

N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this occupation.

O (Occasionally) Occupation requires this activity or exposure up to 33% of the time (0 - 2.5 hrs/day of 8 hour day)

F (Frequently) Occupation requires this activity or exposure from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5 - 5.5 hrs/day of 8 hour day)

C (Constantly) Occupation requires this activity or exposure more than 66% of the time (5.5 hrs/day of 8 hour day)

F - Indoor Work

F - Outdoor Work

F - Unpleasant Odors/Noise

F- Use/exposure to Chemicals

F- Operating Computer

O - Operating Vehicle

O - Exposure to Hazards

O- Extreme Temperatures

O - Office Environment

F - Stressful Situations

O - Dangerous Animals

- Other (explain)

Provide detail (as needed) to explain above answers:

Working with animals that might have zoonotic diseases.

Behavior of animals is unknown and could result in bites, scratches, body checks.

Environment uses chemicals such as Accel and bleach and the floors can be slippery with water use.

Physical Demands

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 the essential functions.

The following standards reflect the percentage of time physical demands are required:

N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this occupation.

O (Occasionally) Occupation requires this activity or exposure up to 33% of the time (0 - 2.5 hrs./day of 8 hour day)

F (Frequently) Occupation requires this activity or exposure from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5 - 5.5 hrs./day of 8 hour day)

C (Constantly) Occupation requires this activity or exposure more than 66% of the time (5.5 hrs./day of 8 hour day)

· Communicating Verbally () - Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word to impart oral information to customers, staff, volunteers, or the public and to convey detailed spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly.

· Hearing () - The ability to hear, understand, and distinguish speech and/or other sounds (e.g., alarms, door buzzers, codes). A yes or no answer is captured for each of the five hearing requirements listed:

C - One-on-one (in person) F - Telephone

C - Group or conference (in person) F - Other sounds

· Near Visual Acuity (C) - Clarity of vision at approximately 20 inches or less (i.e., working with small objects or reading small print), including use of computers.

· Peripheral Vision (C) - Observing an area that can be seen up and down or to right or left while eyes are fixed on a given point.

· Far Visual Acuity (C) - Clarity of vision at 20 feet or more. This is not just the ability to see a person or object, but the ability to recognize features as well.

Fine Manipulation

(F) - Picking, pinching, or otherwise working primarily with fingers rather than the whole hand or arm as in gross manipulation.·

Gross Manipulation (F) - Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with hand(s).·

Keyboarding (C) - Entering text or data into a computer or other machine by means of a keyboard. Devices include traditional keyboard, 10 keypad, touch screen and other.·

Lifting/Carrying (F) - Lifting is to raise or lower an object from one level to another (includes upward pulling). Carrying is to transport an object – usually by holding it in the hands or arms, but may occur on the shoulder. Up to 50-pound lifting requirement.·

Pushing/Pulling (F) - may involve use of hands/arms, feet/legs, and/or feet only done with one side of the body or both sides. Up to 50-pound exertion of force requirement.

· Reaching At/Below Shoulder Level (C) -Extending hand and arms from 0 up to 150 degrees in a vertical arc. Reaching requires the straightening and extension of the arm and elbow and the engagement of the shoulder. The elbow does not need to be locked at any time and the arm does not need to remain in a continuously straight position.

· Reaching Overhead (F) -Extending hands and arms in a 150 to 180 degrees vertical arc. Reaching requires the straightening and extension of the arm and elbow and the engagement of the shoulder. The elbow does not need to be locked at any time and the arm does not need to remain in a continuously straight position.

· Sitting (O) - Remaining in a seated position.

· Crawling (O) - Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.

· Crouching (F) - Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.· Kneeling (O) - Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee(s).

· Standing/Walking/Running (O) - Standing is to remain on one's feet in an upright position at a workstation without moving about. Walking is to move about on foot.

· Stooping (C) - Bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist - requiring full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.

· Climbing Ramps/Stairs (O) - Ascending or descending ramps and/or stairs using feet and legs. Hands and arms may be used for balance (e.g., to hold a railing).

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position, with an expectation of 40 hours per week. Hours are somewhat flexible, and some late evenings or weekends are required.

Travel

5% travel required, including some local.

Education and Experience

Ø 3 years in the Animal welfare field. Experience in a shelter preferred.

Ø Knowledge of animal behavior, temperament and contagious diseases required.

Ø 3 years Customer Service knowledge preferred.

Ø 3 years managing staff preferred.

Work Clearances (if applicable)

EEO Statement

The Beaver County Humane Society is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer that does not discriminate in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, training, promotion and pay without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, protected veteran or marital status.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $22.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Shift:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift

Work Days:

• Holidays
• Monday to Friday
• Rotating weekends

Experience:

• Animal husbandry: 3 years (Required)
• Animal handling: 3 years (Required)
• Supervising: 3 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Aliquippa, PA 15001 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Aliquippa, PA 15001: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $22