Cat Foster & Adoption Support Coordinator

APA! BACKGROUND

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads the No Kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at‑risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals.

The organization is distinguished by its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non‑traditional, community‑based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) – an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both.

The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community‑based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.

The Cat Foster and Adoption Support Coordinator plays a key role in advancing the goals of APA!’s Foster and Adoption Support Program, with a focus on foster placement and support. This position contributes directly to APA!’s mission to increase the live release rate across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high‑impact model for foster coordination. The Cat Foster and Adoption Support Coordinator is responsible for managing daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high‑quality work that aligns with APA!’s

values and goals. This includes staying organized, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands‑on, mission‑driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork.

APA! is a volunteer‑powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The Cat Foster and Adoption Support Coordinator collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day‑to‑day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect. This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need.

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day‑to‑day workflow.

The Cat Foster and Adoption Support Coordinator collaborates closely with the Foster & Community Placement Program Manager to deliver exceptional customer service and support to fosters responsible for APA! animals. Additionally, this role involves close coordination with Cat Foster & Adoption placement specialists, clinic staff, and case managers.

• Coordinate and train cat foster caregivers, staff, and volunteers to ensure that they follow all APA! policies, procedures, and protocols and execute all responsibilities.
• Provide concierge‑level service to fosters and adopters of APA! cats seeking pre or post‑adoption medical coverage or other support – including responding to medical inquiries, requesting medication for fostered and pre‑adopted cats in accordance with medical protocols, scheduling medical services, assisting in finding a new foster placement or with behavioral concerns, and assisting fosters and adopters through any additional needs.
• Oversee a caseload of cats through timely and scheduled follow‑ups,…