Animal Care Technician at Humane Society for Southwest Washington

Vancouver, Washington, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

26 May, 26

Salary

20.85

Posted On

25 Feb, 26

Experience

0 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Animal Husbandry, Health Monitoring, Preventative Care, Disease Control Protocol, Safety Guidelines, Customer Service, Data Entry, Animal Behavioral Evaluations, Intake Examinations, Vaccinations, Microchipping, Behavior Modification, Population Management, Positive Reinforcement, Safe Animal Handling, Fear Free Sheltering

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

Description The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is currently seeking a temporary Animal Care Technician to join our team. This is a part-time, FLSA nonexempt opportunity from March 1st through April 30th. Since 1897, the Humane Society for Southwest Washington (HSSW) has been caring for the animals of Southwest Washington. Today, we are the largest animal welfare agency in Southwest Washington with campuses in Vancouver and Longview, where we help thousands of adoptable pets find shelter, TLC, and loving homes. And through programs like free pet food, emergency shelter, financial assistance, and medical care, we provide critical support that helps pets in need stay home with the families they love. Thanks to our hardworking staff and volunteers, we serve more than 10,000 pets each year. At our Community Veterinary Clinic (CVC), we provide high-quality, subsidized care to the pets of income-qualified families in our community. The CVC expands access to preventative care and spay/neuter, provides care for treatable conditions, and offers essential support to keep pets happy and healthy. And at ReTails Thrift Store, our team of staff and volunteers help hundreds of thousands of items find a second life, providing vital funding for our work with animals. Thanks to our hardworking staff and volunteers, we served more than 10,000 pets in our community - helping them find new homes or providing the support they need to stay with the family who loves them. Our mission is to rescue, return, restore, rehome, and reconnect one animal at a time. That work is possible thanks to the dedicated teams of staff and volunteers who are here for the animals every day. We are committed to a diverse, healthy, and engaged team of employees and volunteers who strive for excellence, treat one another with kindness, and provide quality and compassionate care for the pets and people we serve. Animal Care Technician (ACT Levels 1, 2, 3 & 4) The Animal Care Technicians are the primary caretakers of the animals in shelter, responsible for their daily husbandry, health monitoring and preventative care. Animal Care staff provide high-quality experiences for the animals, and the people who come through our facility. The ACT position is designed with a career path of three distinct levels with escalating skill sets and responsibilities. All three levels take accountability for animal care, patron interactions, and facility cleanliness. The Animal Care Technicians report to the Animal Care supervisor and work collaboratively with all shelter departments in addition to regularly engaging with volunteers and workforce partners. Animal Care Technician (ACT) Essential Duties ACT-1 - Basic entry-level duties and responsibilities… Provide daily husbandry to all animals in shelter including feeding, health monitoring and cleaning of all animal areas. Perform daily cleaning of designated areas including but not limited to kennels, crates, supplies, laundry and associated public areas. Follow disease control protocol to ensure a safe, healthy environment. Follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment for staff and living environments for all animals. Take immediate action to address any safety concerns or noncompliance of safety rules that could put an employee, volunteer, client, animal, or the organization at risk. Stock areas and maintain cleanliness of kennels and public areas throughout the day. Keep supervisor informed of animal behavior or health concerns. Perform other duties as related to above tasks. ACT-2 – In addition to all ACT 1 duties… Public interaction & customer service including adoption socials and leading lost animal walk throughs. Assist with preventative medicine as directed by team leadership. Assist with moving animals throughout the facility. Data entry into shelter-based software Support and assist Animal Care volunteers. Perform closing duties as they pertain to designated areas. Cat Team specific: Daily management of Cattery areas Support preparation for offsite cat programs Dog Team specific: Participate in dog-to-dog socials. Support daily walks per outlined protocols. Small Animal Team specific: Small animal intake and processing Support Small Animal behavior plans. ACT 3 – In addition to all ACT 1 & 2 duties… Must be fully trained & willing to work on both Dog Team, Cat Team & with small animals as needed. Independent decision maker in accordance with all procedures and protocols Independently performs animal behavioral evaluations or risk assessments. Performs intake examinations, vaccinations, microchips, and appropriate testing procedures. Provide positive mentorship for new hires, volunteers & workforce partners. Cross training in areas relating to the daily care of animals: all Animal Care teams & Clinic. Cat Team specific: Daily Cat Exam duties including but not limited to assessments, supporting pathway planning, and conducting behavior modification plans as directed by team leadership. Participate in advanced feline handling and behavior. Support tracking inventory needs as it relates to Cat Exam Dog Team specific: Participate in dog-to-dog assessments for shelter population. Conduct dog consultations with potential adopters. Participate in advanced canine handling and behavior. Support behavior modification and management plans Conduct Owner Surrender Questionnaires Small Animal Team specific: Set and support Small Animal behavior plans. ACT 4 – In addition to all ACT 1, 2 & 3 duties… Provide support in advanced population management, including making recommendations for outcomes on complex or nuanced cases. Participate in and contribute to weekly behavior meetings, including sharing observations and collaborating on behavior-related plans and decisions. Escalate relevant population or behavior information to Animal Care Leadership/Behavior Team for further monitoring and discussion. Assist in developing, maintaining, and updating team training materials in collaboration with leadership, ensuring alignment with current best practices. Support Team Leadership with training and mentorship to staff and volunteers. Conduct behavior evaluations, implement individualized behavior plans, and direct behavioral support to animals in the shelter. Provide individualized behavior support and resources to adopters and the public, including coaching around common post-adoption challenges. Contribute to process improvements related to behavioral programming and population flow, collaborating cross-departmentally where appropriate. Support the behavior population in foster care. General Expectations Follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment. Good verbal and written communications skills. Is visible to staff, volunteers, and workforce partners; communicates with supervisor and directors on developments within the department. Promote positive communication and cooperation between HSSW (Humane Society for Southwest Washington) departments. Exercise good judgment when working with the public, volunteers, workforce partners and staff. Committed to achieving excellence individually and as a part of the team. Adheres to organizational policies and procedures. Acts as a positive role model for other employees. Maintains a positive and respectful attitude always representing HSSW in a professional and courteous manner. Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management with ability to prioritize workload. Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position. Meets department productivity standards. Use of objective and positive language as it related to animal behavior. Supports positive reinforcement as a sole training method used by HSSW. Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities Ability to read, understand, comprehend, and follow instructions & SOP’s. Ability to become certified in safe animal handling within 90 days of employment. Ability to complete Fear Free Sheltering certification within 90 days of employment. Able to work safely with animals, disinfectants & cleaning supplies. Able to perform physical work: scrubbing, mopping, bending, lifting, walking, and standing for up to 10 hours a day with appropriate breaks. Able to lift fifty pounds with assistance. Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with a diverse group of people. Ability to use a computer, working with Microsoft products. Ability to retain knowledge of animal breed, behavior, and handling. Knowledge of animal health, ability to identify ill health. Sincere interest in the mission of the HSSW Compensation 2026 Hourly pay ranges in accordance with levels are as follows. ACT-1 $17.16 to $17.82 per hour. ACT-2: $17.82 to $18.36 per hour. ACT-3: $18.36 to $19.47 per hour. ACT-4: $19.47 to $20.85 per hour. Employee Benefits and Perks In addition to serving in an organization with a compassionate and strategic purpose, eligible employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package and a variety of employee perks. Benefits include: Health insurance effective the first of the month following hire (full-time employees). Dental and vision insurance effective the first of the month following hire. Matching percentage 401(k) retirement plan beginning the first month after hire, with a 3-year graded vesting schedule and ROTH contribution option. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to all employees and household members. Section 125 FSA Cafeteria Plan for out-of-pocket health and/or dependent day care expenses. Access to affordable life, disability, and accidental supplemental insurance. Numerous employee discounts and discounts with partner organizations. Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualified employer: To learn more about this Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, go to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation. Paid Time Off (PTO) This position accrues PTO at a rate of 1.6 hours for every 40 hours worked. Additional Paid time includes: Floating Holidays (full-time employees). Bereavement leave Pet bereavement leave Culture Vision: A community where everyone loves and cares for animals. Mission: Rescue. Return. Restore. Rehome. Reconnect. One animal at a time Values: Compassion. Collaboration. Excellence. Service. Integrity. The ultimate team player: Displays interest, enthusiasm, and an affinity for working with people. Demonstrates an attitude in being of-service, using good judgment, maintaining a positive outlook, and ideally, a sense of humor. Works well in teams and demonstrates an attitude and commitment to collaboration with a sincere interest in helping others succeed. Is committed to achieving excellence individually and as a part of the team. Exhibits adaptability, curiosity, flexibility to change, open to new ideas, and encourages others to recognize changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as an opportunity for transformation. Is committed to personal and professional development through life-long learning. How to Apply Does HSSW sound like the right place for you? Does this job sound like a great fit & do you meet the qualifications for this position? If so, then click the Apply button to begin your journey to join our team today. HSSW participates in E-Verify For more information visit https://HSSW.org/careers/. Application Deadline: Open until filled. Physical Requirements & Working Conditions The position requires you to be comfortable speaking with members of the public. Work duties and tasks may require walking, standing, sitting, stooping, squatting, bending, speaking, seeing, listening, utilizing arms, hands & fingers for grasping, lifting, operating computers, answering telephone, and in working with and/or around animals. Position may call for repetitive use of hands to perform tasks in addition to operating tools, computers, telephone, cell phone, and computer keyboard. Reasonable accommodations may enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Additional physical requirements may include occasional lifting of up to fifty pounds with assistance. This position typically requires work on weekends. Primary workplace is at an animal shelter that operates 7 days per week, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals and with potential exposure to fractious animals; high noise levels; zoonotic diseases; animal bites and scratches; cleaning chemicals and allergens. Potential exposure of infectious diseases to owned animals. Employees will be working up to 10 hours per day with appropriate breaks and lunch.

Responsibilities

Animal Care Technicians are the primary caretakers responsible for the daily husbandry, health monitoring, and preventative care of animals in the shelter, ensuring high-quality experiences for both animals and visitors. The role involves escalating responsibilities across four levels, including cleaning, patron interactions, data entry, and specialized team duties (Dog, Cat, Small Animal).