Animal Care & Adoption Specialist

Position Summary:

The Animal Care & Adoption Specialist supports Joybound's mission by ensuring the humane care of animals while providing exceptional service to the public throughout the adoption process. This hybrid role combines direct animal care, behavior enrichment, and medical observation with adopter engagement, education, matchmaking, and adoption facilitation.

This role balances responsibilities equally between Animal Care and Adoptions, starting each day with hands-on animal care duties (feeding, cleaning, etc.) and transitioning to the Adoption department at mid-day to support peak operational needs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Interact and communicate with colleagues, volunteers, and the public in a manner that advances a culture of positivity, professionalism, trust, transparency, empathy, and excellence at Joybound.

Animal Care & Handling

• Provide daily care, exercise, enrichment, feeding, and cleaning for shelter dogs and cats.
• Administer medications as prescribed by Veterinary Clinic staff.
• Monitor animal health and behavior, reporting signs of illness or distress.
• Assist with behavioral training and follow behavior plans as directed.
• Clean and sanitize animal areas and equipment.

Adoptions & Public Engagement

• Guide potential adopters through the adoption process and ensure a positive experience.
• Match animals with suitable adopters based on lifestyle, behavior, and needs.
• Conduct meet-and-greet sessions with animals and potential adopters.
• Educate the public on responsible pet ownership and post-adoption care.
• Facilitate accurate and complete adoption paperwork, fee collection, and data entry.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with veterinarians, trainers, volunteers, and other departments to ensure animal well-being and adoption success.
• Participate in off-site adoption events and community outreach programs.
• Promote and maintain a respectful and compassionate environment for animals and people alike.

Record Keeping & Administration

• Maintain accurate records of animal care and adoptions in databases.
• Uphold confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Assist with boutique sales using Shopify and help maintain store presentation.