Job Description:
Job Title: Animal Enrichment and Wellbeing Supervisor
Department: Shelter
Classification: Full time, salary, exempt
Job Relationship: Reports to Animal Care Manager
Position Summary: Ensures all animals receive optimal enrichment, wellbeing is monitored and concerns of Fear, Anxiety, and Stress are addresses daily. Ensures Dog Play Groups and individual dog and cat enrichment is being performed daily and coordinates necessary support staff. Oversees the Animal Enrichment and Wellbeing Associates. Fills in to manage / assist with volunteer training and needs for the Volunteer Coordinator as needed. Models “Compassion” core value behavior: Treats animals and people with respect, empathy, and kindness.
Essential Job Functions:
Ensures appropriate handling, daily assessment, and enrichment of all animals sheltered at the APL
- Ensures animals receive necessary daily enrichment and care to maintain optimal wellbeing and signs of Fear, Anxiety, and Stress (FAS) are addressed daily.
- Ensures all dogs entering the APL are behaviorally assessed within 48 hours of arrival.
- Ensures Dog Play Groups are being performed daily and all necessary support staff is available for assistance. Required safety equipment and supplies are inventoried and ordered to ensure the safety of all animal and human participants.
- Responsible for ensuring sufficient daily exercise and time outside of their enclosure for all sheltered dogs and coordinating assistance from staff and volunteers.
- Communicates promptly and effectively with other shelter staff in order to ensure consistency of animal handling based on changing needs and to provide updates on individual behavior concerns.
- Works with Animal Care Supervisor and Animal Care Team to ensure all animals housed at the APL receive daily enrichment, targeted toward each animal’s individual needs.
- Maintains kennel environment by relocating animals when behaviorally advantageous, designating daily kennel enrichment and guiding staff and volunteers in ideal care for each animal
- Develops and maintains a check-point system to assess behavioral wellbeing of the animal population, assesses animals for signs of FAS daily, and implements necessary interventions to address FAS
- Identifies requests for dog and cat behavior medication to reduce fear, anxiety, stress while in kennel. Shares decisions for recommendation with Animal Care Manager for communication during daily rounds.
- Oversees daily distribution of behavior medication for canine population including close coordination with clinic staff for medication pick up and changes.
- Promotes pathway planning for animals who demonstrate behavioral concerns. Includes development, evaluation, and communication of behavior plans and monitoring implementation of plan for effective decision making.
- Works closely with Adoption Supervisor to create actionable plans to address length of stay. Communicates animal behavior updates and adoption promotion opportunities unique to individual animals.
- Provides adoption counseling to potential adopters for dogs specified as needing special adoption recommendations and/or support.
- Conducts dog-dog interactions with potential adopters, when requested.
- Ensures canine enrichment areas (Play Yards) are properly cleaned and maintained.
- Serves as the primary contact for the dog, cat and small mammal enrichment.
- Assists with training staff in the areas of safe animal handling and assessment, disease control, and the daily provision of care and enrichment; provides guidance to ACAs to ensure animal handling, assessment, and disease control policies and protocols are being followed
- Assists with transport, intake, and evaluation of dogs received from other agencies.
- Maintains excellent communication with Animal Care Manager (ACM) and alerts the ACM to any potential concerns within the department.
- Ensures animals are treated with a Fear Free approach in the shelter, at offsite events, and as they transition into their new homes
Oversees animal enrichment and wellbeing associates and coordinates work assignments
- Directly oversees work assignment of associates and ensures completion of work as assigned.
- Performs supervisory duties, including reviewing work performance, motivating subordinates to work more effectively, identifying problems with performance and solutions to those problems, determining training needs to improve performance, initiating measures to correct misconduct per APL policy. Carries out approved disciplinary actions.
- Schedules associate to ensure adequate coverage.
- Orients new associate and ensures associate is trained and coached to a level necessary to achieve the APL’s mission and goals.
- Coaches associate by providing regular, ongoing feedback and training.
- Completes performance evaluations
- Ensures compliance with APL animal care, safety, and personnel practices and procedures.
- Promotes teamwork, communication, and cooperation between APL departments; ensures staff provide high-quality, positive interactions with clients and co-workers.
Performs other duties as assigned including but not limited to:
- Informs supervisor of special needs cases for potential public relations or direct mail pieces
- Notifies the Animal Care Manager to situations that could be potentially damaging to the professional image of the APL.
- Promotes communication and cooperation between APL departments.
- Supports shelter volunteer needs in the absence of the Shelter Volunteer Coordinator.
- Performs other duties and special projects as assigned
- Euthanasia certified; performs euthanasia as assigned
- Maintains cleaning equipment, tools and appliances
- Opens and closes the building as assigned
- Keeps up to date on organizational communications by either attending All Staff Meetings or reading the News Hound.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent preferred
- Prior demonstrable experience in animal behavior, health, handling, and care
- Supervisory/leadership experience in a professional or volunteer setting
- Certified euthanasia technician or ability to become certified within six months of hire
Knowledge and Skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with a variety of people
- Knowledge of all volunteer positions
- Knowledge of animal breeds, behavior, and handling
- Knowledge of animal health, able to identify illness preferred
- Ability to safely handle animals, including those with health and behavioral challenges
- Excellent communication skills and ability to follow instructions
- Excellent interpersonal communication, public speaking and customer service skills.
- Ability to use a PC and widely used software packages, e.g., spreadsheets (Excel), word processing (MS Word), Pet Point shelter software; ability to learn new software as necessary.
- Ability to meet deadlines; ability to set and accomplish work in order of priority; professionally maintain composure and effectiveness under pressure and changing conditions.
- Able to work a flexible schedule with regular weekend and evening activities.
- Detail oriented and able to prioritize and perform duties efficiently and effectively
- Committed to maintaining the Cleveland Animal Protective League’s high standard of animal care and mission to foster compassion and end animal suffering.
- Fear Free Certified or must become certified within six months of hire
- Supports the APL’s desire to celebrate a diverse and inclusive culture that fuels the compassion that connects us to one another.
