Dog Services Lead

JOB SUMMARY: Is responsible for the movement of individual dogs along their pathway while prioritizing the health of the whole dog population in the care of HSTPC. Works to reduce length of stay and improve welfare. Performs daily rounds to ensure movement of the dog population in the building is operating at the best possible performance. Communicates with other departments as needed to help provide service and assistance with such areas as adoptions, veterinary, and receiving. Oversees and ensures quality of care of the dog population by monitoring, addressing or reporting areas that are not meeting the shelter’s standards of care. Assists in the development of dog enrichment programs, staff and volunteer training.ESSENTAIL DUTES & FUNCTIONS:Monitors dogs daily to ensure they are moving along each step of the pathway to the determined outcome (adoption, euthanasia, transfer) as quickly as possibleEvaluates dogs in assessment stage for behavioral reasonsWith the shelter operations manager, follows up with Animal Control on individual confiscate/cruelty casesAttends daily rounds and, with LVT/DVM leads the dog portionAttends other population meetings and provides updates on casesMakes dogs available for adoption, adds behavior notes and waiversProvides advanced adoption counseling when needed for specific casesReviews and adjusts housing needs of dogs in the shelter and in foster to ensure staff and volunteer safety and animal welfare needs are addressedEscalates cases of concerning dog behavior to pathway committee or other established routesEnsure cleaning, care, and feeding/watering standards are met by monitoring the care of the dogs. If standards are not being meant addressing/training the individual(s) and reporting to the kennel aid lead and operations manager.Assist all other departments with handling and management of behavioral dogsCreate and Run volunteer dog programsWith Shelter Operations Manager: grow, develop, and maintain volunteer dog volunteer programsProvides daily oversight of volunteer dog enrichment programs and activitiesAssists with training and monitoring of staff/volunteers in the care and handling of dogs.Works with Shelter Operations Manager and Kennel Aide Lead to develop and maintain enrichment programsParticipate in stress and disease reduction efforts through purposeful and compassionate handling and placement of animals in the shelter environment.Create and maintain necessary animal records, perform data entry completely and accurately.Maintain equipment in working condition, report equipment or supply needs to the operations manager.Maintain work and general areas in an organized manner.Represent HSTPC well by providing excellent customer service.Knows, understands, and follows procedures and policies of the HSTPC.Maintain and promote a positive public image standard relevant to HSTPC.Attend and participate in departmental and shelter meetings.Attend educational venues as recommended/approved.Interact with co-workers and volunteers in an efficient and courteous manner to ensure a cooperative team environment amongst all departments.Ensure a safe work environment, following all safety guidelines and modeling safe work practice.Take immediate action to address any safety concerns that could put a staff member, volunteer, client, animal or the organization at risk.Performs other duties as required.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty well. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Available to work weekends, holiday shifts and overtime as neededOutgoing, polite and professional manner.Team player, able to work in a fast-paced environment and multi-task.The ability to deal with a diverse public on the telephone and in person is requiredCommunicate effectively orally and in writingExcellent organizational skillsComputer skills in a Windows environment preferred including Word, Excel, Power Point and ChameleonMust possess a valid and unrestricted Washington state driver’s license with a clean DMV record for the past 3 yearsMust have the ability to multitask, prioritize and handle high levels of stressPosition requires excellent organizational skills, as well as high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Must be dependable, have proven ability to meet deadlines and follow detailed instructions without need of constant support.Must be comfortable handling dogs displaying all behaviorsEducation/Certification:High school diploma or equivalent.Strongly preferred: completion of coursework in dog behavior utilizing positive reinforcement-based methodsComputer skills in a Windows environment preferred including Word, Excel, Power Point and ChameleonExperience:Any acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience in animal welfare and/or customer service helpfulExperience handling dogs in a shelter setting. Strongly preferred: experience providing behavior support to dogs in a shelter setting.Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Knowledge of (B/basic; J/journey; E/expert):Math skills (B)Speak, read, and write in the English language (B)Skill and ability to:NeverSeldom1%-10%Occasional11%-33%Frequent34%-66%Constant67%-100%StandXWalkXLift <10 lbsXLift 10-25 lbsXLift 26-50 lbsXLift 51-75 lbsXLift 76-100 lbsXTwistXReachXPush and PullXClimbXSitXVisionXHearingX