The Customer Service Specialist / Adoption Counselors are essential components of our staff at the Lakeland Animal Shelter. For more details on the position, please see Customer Service Specialist / Adoption Counselors Job Description below. If you are interested in employment at the Lakeland Animal Shelter, please submit an Employment Application.
General Position Summary:
The Adoption/Animal Help Counselor will be responsible to find good homes for dogs, cats, and other animals both at the shelter and at off site adoption events, while creating a positive experience for prospective adopters. Additionally the counselor will advise people who are having a problem with their pet or wish to surrender their animal with the goal of resolving the situation in order to keep the
pet in the home.
Responsibilities include:
- Actively reaching out to and interacting with the general public, specifically talking with prospective adopters to find out what they are looking for in a pet.
- Ιnteracting with/getting to know the animals and talking with prospective adopters about them in order to make the best possible match.
- Providing high quality customer service to people who visit or call LAS.
- Working with volunteers to increase adoptions.
- Photographing adoptions and keeping records of positive adoption stories.
- Helping people through the adoption process, sharing information about animal care and behavior, reviewing adoption applications, interviewing applicants in a conversational way, making decisions to finalize or deny an adoption, and communicating with the applicant in such a manner that maintains a courteous and friendly attitude even when declining a request.
- Following up on adoptions by phone once the animal has been placed in the new home.
- Advising people who are having a problem with their pet and/or who want to surrender their pet to LAS, with the goal of keeping the pet in the home. This may occur in person, over the phone or via e-mail.
- Willingness and ability to learn the Petpoint computer program we use to track animals in the shelter.
- Willingness and ability to learn about cat and dog behavior, common issues, and ways to address them in order to make good adoption matches and to keep animals in homes.
- Assisting with the cleaning of animal areas and equipment as needed, including spot cleaning of animal and public areas throughout the day.
- Τransporting animals, cages and other equipment to and from off-site events.
- Monitoring the health of the animals on an ongoing basis and rapidly identifying any health problems or conditions (medical or behavioral) and immediately reporting it to the supervisor or veterinary technician.
- Treating all animals humanely, properly, and with compassion at all times, regardless of the situation or circumstance and promoting a humane and caring attitude toward all animals.
- Maintaining a friendly demeanor and providing good customer service while assisting with adoptions.
- Working courteously and cooperatively with other staff members.
- Filling in for other areas and performing other tasks/functions as needed, including helping out at special events.
Specific Job Skills:
- Strong interpersonal skills. The ideal person for this job would be personable, outgoing, patient, professional, and able to get along well with a variety of people.
- Excellent written and oral communications skills.
- Affection for animals, concern for their welfare, and a willingness to accommodate animals in the work place.
- Αbility and initiative, working with minimal supervision and direction.
- Maturity, good judgment and a professional personal appearance.
- Ability to read, write and understand English.
- Flexibility, ability to manage multiple tasks.
- The ability to remain pleasant and calm even in stressful situations.
- The ability to ask appropriate questions to gather information along with the ability to feel and show empathy for others.
- The ability to turn people down, firmly when necessary, without becoming aggressive or unpleasant.
- The ability to learn about and understanding each dog as an individual with his or her own personality, bad habits, past experiences, etc.
- Familiarity with animals, knowledge of animal behavior or experience volunteering or working with a rescue group, humane society, foster care involvement or other animal welfare agency are a plus.
- Comfort and ability to work with animals of unknown disposition and those who may exhibit medical and other problems, as well as aggressive tendencies.
Physical Requirements:
- Physical ability to walk and/or stand on your feet throughout a normal workday required.
- Physical ability to engage in repetitive motions of legs, arms, and hands, to hear, to see, to move animals and goods.
- Allergic conditions, which would be aggravated when handling or working with animals, may be a disqualification.
- Educational Requirements: High school graduation, plus two years of public contact work or volunteer experience, preferably working with animals.
- Availability: LAS is open seven days a week, as animals need daily care. Availability and a willingness to work a flexible schedule are a plus.
