Pet Counselor

Description

Reports to Manager of Pet Support Services

The Richmond SPCA is a non-profit organization located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia. As a leader in the field of animal welfare, we are cultivating a community committed to saving, protecting and enriching animal lives with a mission to provide education and resources to achieve and sustain a no-kill community. Annually, we rescue, rehabilitate and find homes for about 4,000 homeless animals while also providing our region with vital safety net programs designed to keep thousands of pets in loving homes and out of shelters.

Our values of collaboration, creativity, honesty, inclusion and respect guide not only what we do – but how we do it.

Pet support counselors provide pet-retention counseling and services to the community, and play an essential role in the intake of dogs and cats into the care of the Richmond SPCA.

• Assist individuals inquiring about pet surrender and assistance with empathy and compassion (not judgement) and partner with them to find the best solution for their unique situation
• Provide pet-retention counseling for community members by phone, email and in person in a timely manner with helpful and clear information
• Facilitate the intake process for owner surrenders and transfers from partner agencies
• Drive company vehicles to complete transfer of pets from transfer partners throughout the state of Virginia and neighboring states
• Collect detailed behavioral and background information from community members surrendering animals
• Administer vaccines, blood pulls and de-wormer on dogs and cats of various size, temperament, and medical history
• Enter data thoroughly and accurately into the PetPoint database and each pet's physical file
• Report any medical concerns or observations to our Internal Veterinary Services team, and any behavioral concerns or observations to our Behavior and Training team for monitoring
• Work with our awesome volunteers and respond to their questions in a professional manner
• Notify appropriate personnel when pet support services supplies are running low
• General cleaning, restocking, and upkeep of workspace as well as sweeping, dusting, mopping, taking out the trash, and restocking files and other supplies
• Maintain open and regular communication with the Manager of Pet Support Services, Assistant Manager of Pet Support Services and Senior Director of Shelter Operations
• Assist other colleagues in the department as needed
• Complete special cleaning projects and side duties as needed
• Other job‑related duties as assigned
• Attend and participate in all required trainings and meetings

• Alignment with the Richmond SPCA’s mission to achieve and sustain a no-kill community including promoting pet adoption and spaying/neutering
• Uncompromising commitment to the wellbeing of every pet in our care
• Effective, professional, and empathetic customer service skills and communication (written and verbal) with the public, volunteers, and all Richmond SPCA employees
• Ability to multi-task, follow directions (written and verbal), adapt, and accommodate changing demands productively
• Computer skills and ability to learn new computer systems; knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, PetPoint, and Day Smart Vet a plus
• Ability to work in a high volume, fast-paced environment
• Strong work ethic, reliability, punctuality
• Excellent attention to detail
• Customer service experience and ability to satisfactorily resolve customer service issues
• Ability to provide productive feedback to management
• Resourcefulness and ability to work independently in a mature, professional, and productive capacity
• Team-oriented mindset with the ability to recognize a need for assistance and ask for help
• Strong time management and prioritization skills
• Bilingual in English and Spanish (speaking and writing) preferred, but not required
• Experience working in the animal welfare or veterinary field preferred, but not required

• Comfort handling and learning to handle dogs, cats, and small mammals (guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets): both general handling (petting, leash-walking, some lifting and carrying) and restraint (drawing…