Canine Coordinator

Job Description

Position: Canine Coordinator

Department: Lifesaving Programs

Reports to: Manager of Lifesaving Programs

Category: Full-time

Schedule: M-F with some Saturdays (usually alternating), and other hours as needed.

Supervises: Volunteers supporting the department

Pay Range: $17.00/hour - $20.50/hour

Job Purpose:

The Canine Coordinator leads the shelter’s strategy for canine behavioral health and enrichment, ensuring dogs receive consistent, individualized support from intake through placement. By coordinating assessments, training, behavior planning, staff and volunteer education, and cross-departmental decision-making, the position reduces shelter stress, strengthens humane and fear-free practices, and improves adoption, foster, transfer, and other live-release outcomes.

Core Objectives:

· Improve the behavioral and emotional well-being of shelter dogs.

· Prevent shelter-related stress from escalating into behavioral deterioration or unnecessarily prolonged stays.

· Increase successful adoptions, foster placements, transfers, and other live outcomes.

· Reduce adoption returns through education, training, and behavior support.

· Expand volunteer engagement and enrichment opportunities.

· Promote consistent, evidence-based, humane animal care practices across the organization.

· Follow the HSWC Standards of Conduct.

Essential Duties:

· Conduct behavioral assessments, intake evaluations, daily behavioral rounds, and ongoing observations throughout an animal's stay.

· Perform daily population rounds to monitor canine welfare and identify animals experiencing stress, behavioral decline, or placement barriers.

· Develop, implement, and adjust individualized behavior modification, rehabilitation, training, and enrichment plans.

· Train staff and volunteers to ensure safe, consistent execution of playgroups, dog introductions, behavior evaluations, training sessions, and other enrichment activities.

· Identify at-risk animals and implement intervention strategies that support positive outcomes.

· Evaluate canines for adoption, foster placement, transfer, rescue, behavioral support, or other live-release options.

· Coordinate with medical staff to ensure animals have been properly vaccinated and medically assessed before making available for adoption or adding to master surgery list.

· Review daily medical rounds to ensure recommendations for canines are completed or discussed before proceeding.

· Maintain canines on the master surgery list, updating locations, procedures and removing completed tasks twice weekly, or on a more frequent basis as needed.

· Participate in placement discussions and provide realistic recommendations, including humane euthanasia, regarding behavioral and medical needs, plus quality of life.

· Develop and oversee shelter-wide canine enrichment programs, ensuring all dogs receive daily physical, mental, and social enrichment using volunteer and staff assistance.

· Evaluate enrichment effectiveness and introduce new techniques, equipment, and best practices to improve animal welfare.

· Maintain appropriate enrichment supplies, equipment, and program resources.

· Promote positive reinforcement and fear-free animal handling practices throughout the organization.

· When needed, counsel adopters regarding behavioral needs, training recommendations, and management strategies outside normal behavior handouts.

· Review owner surrender cases alongside the Resource Center Team and provide reasonable plans to keep owner and pet together or make humane euthanasia recommendations if warranted.

· Provide guidance, training plans, and ongoing support to foster caregivers as needed alongside the Rescue and Canine Foster Coordinator.

· Prepare behavior summaries and recommendations to support successful placement outcomes.

· Train, coach, mentor, and support staff and volunteers in canine behavior, enrichment, body language, handling, and training techniques.

· Assist with onboarding and continuing education for staff and volunteers involved in animal care programs.

· Collaborate across departments to ensure consistent behavior management and animal welfare practices.

· Promote teamwork, professional development, and organizational communication.

· Maintain accurate and timely behavior records, assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, and placement recommendations in shelter databases.

· Participate in animal planning meetings, case reviews, and organizational initiatives.

· Coordinate individual animal cases with veterinary, foster, adoption, field services, and development teams to align care plans, placement strategies, and other support for positive outcomes.

· Ensure compliance with organizational policies, safety procedures, and animal welfare standards.

· Assist with other shelter operations and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications:

· CPDT-KA or similar behavior/training certification required.

· EBI or CET certification or ability to be certified within 6 months of hire date required.

· Experience in animal welfare, shelter operations, canine behavior, dog training, or related fields is preferred

· Strong knowledge of canine behavior, body language, enrichment, learning theory, behavior modification, and positive reinforcement training methods.

· Ability to safely handle dogs of all sizes, temperaments, and behavioral needs, using a variety of PPE.

· Experience conducting behavioral assessments and developing individualized behavior plans.

· Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

· Strong interpersonal skills. Must be able to work cooperatively with other departments, program managers, staff, and volunteers in a positive and constructive way.

· Strong organizational, documentation, and problem-solving abilities.

· Ability to train and mentor staff, volunteers, and foster caregivers.

· Basic computer literacy (Microsoft Office Programs, ability to learn Chameleon, Slack, AirTable etc.)

· Possession of a valid driver’s license and safe driving record acceptable to the HSWC insurance carrier.

Working conditions:

Potential exposure to zoonotic diseases, high noise levels, extreme temperatures, hazardous chemicals, and sharp objects. Must be able to lift up to 50 lb., sustain long periods of standing, bending, stooping, reaching and animal handling and restraint for various activity levels of animals in an animal shelter-type setting. Must be able to effectively manage and navigate the emotional aspects of animal welfare.

Please note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Employment Disclaimer: This job description is not a contract. Management reserves the right to change its contents at any time. The HSWC complies with guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. This organization is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Humane Society of Washington County is an at-will employer.

Pay: $23.58 - $28.40 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $24 - $28