Dog Socialization Specialist
Dog Socialization Specialist
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Job Description
Dog Socialization Specialist
APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA! is one of Austins most dynamic and bestloved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues treats and adopts out 10000 homeless dogs and cats each year providing the safety net for Austins most atrisk shelter pets which helps Austin to be a nokill city while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the spiness of its grassroots nontraditional communitybased animal rescue work.
The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive! APA!s national division. In 2020 AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project a collaborative movement of more than 10000 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1900 organizations. HASS is the firstofitskind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build communityfocused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping humananimal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters.
BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The Dog Programs at Austin Pets Alive! serve as a vital part of the No movement in Austin and the surrounding regions by developing models for identifying and rescuing atrisk dogs caring for dogs with medical and behavioral challenges in an effective humane and respectful manner and supporting these dogs through adoption and in their new homes. The Dog Socialization Specialist plays a vital role within APA!s Dog Programs contributing to the organizations mission of saving lives and promoting animal welfare. This position is dedicated to providing essential socialization enrichment walks and care for the dogs in our facility with a focus on optimizing their physical and mental health and adoptability.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Handling assessment and general care of dogs onsite.
- Conduct daily playgroup sessions to facilitate positive interactions between dogs; promoting social skills and reducing stress.
- Provide enrichment activities such as puzzle toys stimulation and training exercises to mentally stimulate and engage dogs.
- Take dogs on regular walks to provide exercise stimulation training protocols and exposure to different environments.
- Assess the behavior and progress of dogs you interact with documenting observations and communicating with all teams as needed.
- Develop and implement socialization plans tailored to the individual needs of each dog considering their unique personality temperament energy level and behavior.
- Assist in leading behavior consults resident dog meet & greets playgroup assessments and engaging with potential adopters about the personalities and needs of available dogs.
- Proactively drive initiatives to enhance the mental and behavioral wellbeing of the dog population.
- Job duties may include some or all of the above and other duties as assigned by manager.
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
- Assist the Dog Socialization Supervisor in recruiting and maintaining a dedicated dog behavior training volunteer base; fostering a welcoming and supportive culture
- Collaborate with members of every team to ensure the holistic care and wellbeing of all animals onsite
- Improve the dog behavior literacy of APA! staff and volunteers with an emphasis on understanding dog communication and reducing the risk of bites to people
- Achieve mastery of one specialization role within the department and take leadership as captain of it
- Maintain cleanliness and organization ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for both dogs and staff
- Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
- Maintain timely open and consistent communication with Director Manager or designee supervisor and other colleagues
- Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
- Able to work in a high volume fastpaced highstress environment
QUALIFICATIONS SKILLS & EXPECTATIONS:
- Ability to uphold and promote high safety standards in working with dogs of all sizes breeds and temperaments some of whom have notable behavior challenges
- Demonstrate professionalism in all interactions and represent the program positively
- Commitment to being flexible and adaptable in responding to the evolving needs of the program; reacting to change productively and maintaining a positive and solutionfocused approach
- Commitment to APA!s mission and a strong desire to increase its lifesaving capacity
- Must embody APA!s core values of innovation respect drive resourcefulness and inclusion
- Commitment to APA!s customer experience expectations
- Willing and committed to working well with volunteers and staff in all roles
PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be able to routinely lift 4050 pounds
- Must be able to work around animals (including diseased injured and/or potentially aggressive animals) loud noises chlorine or other chemicals and inclement weather
- Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels including cats who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm scabies intestinal parasites etc.
- Must be able to walk big dogs that pull and jump for multiple hours a day
- Must be able to be on your feet for long periods of time
- Must be able to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away
- Ability to hear normal speech at close contact and shouting up to 150 feet away with the ability to hear and discern dog vocalizations both soft and loud
- Must be able to pass all required dog handling training required for this position
- If reasonable accommodations are requested reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Uses own transportation to travel and transport
- Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises
- Exposure to bites scratches and animal waste
- Possible exposure to contagious diseases
- Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste disinfectants and high levels of noise
- Potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people
- Must be able to walk around shelter as needed uneven ground keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers
TIME COMMITMENT:
- This is a fulltime nonexempt position with an average of 40 hours per week
- Shift and schedule flexibility is required as weekly schedule is subject to change
- Able to work evenings weekends and holidays as needed
- Occasional afterhours work may be required to support program needs
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: Reports directly to the Dog Socialization Supervisor
LOCATION(S:
- APA! Main Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin TX 78703
- May travel to offsite locations as needed
BENEFITS:
Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for fulltime employees including subsidized employersponsored medical coverage subsidized and voluntary life insurance voluntary dental vision and shortterm disability options all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans up to 2 match on 401(K) retirement plan supplemental benefits flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Fulltime employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT
Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color LGBTQ people women transgender and gender nonconforming people and people with disabilities to apply.
Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race color religion sex national origin age disability veteran status marital status sexual orientation gender identity or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion respect and integrity community focus and innovation.
Required Experience:
Unclear Seniority
Employment Type
Full Time
