Job Description
Job Description
Love animals? Love helping people? Join our Pet Kokua Resource Center team and make a difference every single day by supporting pets and the people who care about them.
In this dynamic role, you'll be on the front lines of helping families in need-guiding pet owners through the difficult decision of relinquishment and working with them to explore alternatives that can keep beloved pets in their homes. You'll assist community members with compassion, welcome incoming animals with care, and connect people with resources like low-cost veterinary care, food assistance, or self-rehoming support.
You'll also manage lost-and-found cases, help reunite pets with their families, and ensure excellent customer service through phone calls, emails, and in-person interactions.
We're looking for team members who are empathetic, resourceful, and passionate about animal welfare-people who can stay calm in challenging situations, problem-solve creatively, and deliver outstanding customer care while making a lasting impact in our community.
JOB/POSITION TITLE: Pet Resource Specialist
STATUS: Non-Exempt
PRIMARY PURPOSE: Serve as a community resource advisor, helping pet owners explore options to keep pets in their homes whenever possible. Provide compassionate guidance and support to individuals facing challenges with their animals, offering resources, education, and alternatives to relinquishment. Facilitate the intake and reunification process for lost pets, welcome pets being relinquished when necessary, ensuring a respectful and efficient experience for both people and pets. Work directly with animals and the public to assess needs, determine pathway options, and deliver excellent customer care.
Reports To: Admissions Manager
Supervises: Volunteers
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/FUNCTIONS:
- People Care. Leading by example, ensuring internal and external patrons (employees, volunteers, Hawaiian Humane partners and community members) and their needs are a primary focus. Communication and contact must be clear, understandable, cooperative, professional and respectful in all circumstances and will occur through face to face, telephone, and electronic mail. Employees are expected to actively support a positive team environment, directly address conflict with the goal of problem solving and appropriately express concerns. This position interacts with and collaborates with employees and volunteers at all levels of the organization.
- Customer Care. Deliver high-level customer service to Hawaiian Humane community members via the Pet Kokua Resource Center including pet retention, animal admissions, post-adoption care appointments, foster volunteer appointments, owned pet euthanasia requests, and Lost & Found walk-ins. Manage emotionally challenging situations with strong communication skills and empathy.
- Pet Admissions. Provide daily pet relinquishment and lost pet intake services. Consult with patrons to gather information to create animal records in the PetPoint database. Safely handle, restrain, and move animals. Administer vaccinations, microchips and preventative medications. Assess initial health and behavior of incoming pets. Provide end-of-life services for pets at their owner's request.
- Lost & Found. Assists community members with lost and found pets, with the ultimate goal of reuniting pets with their families. Guides individuals through shelter walkthroughs to help identify missing animals and provides support throughout the reunion process. Offers resources and tools to aid in the search for lost pets or to help reunite found animals with their owners.
- Animal Care Management. Works with the veterinary services team to expedite urgent care of sick, suffering or injured animals.
- Financial Reports. Daily cash handling protocols. Prepare and reconcile statements of daily financial transactions and deposits.
- Pet Kokua Resource Center Care. Ensures a sanitized, organized, and welcoming admissions center, distributing and properly organizing donations or supplies. Cleans and sanitize evaluation and intake areas according to industry best practices.
OTHER DUTIES/FUNCTIONS:
- Other Duties as Assigned. May include organization-wide support as needed such as but not limited to participation in events, fundraising, and Hawaiian Humane's role as a first responder to disasters.
JOB CONDITIONS:
- Work Environment: Indoors and outdoors as needed.
- Equipment Use: Computer, database, and telephone systems. Use of all sheltering related animal equipment including tools for containing animals humanely, safely, and securely. Shelter related medical equipment and tools for administering vaccines humanely and safely. Use of Hawaiian Humane Vehicles.
- Hours: Based on operational requirements. Shift times are scheduled to support organizational needs and may include evenings, weekends and holidays.
MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND COMMUNICATION DEMANDS:
- Must be committed to Hawaiian Humane goals, objectives and programs.
- Handle and restrain animals of various sizes, weights, and temperaments. Subject to animal bites or scratches. Work performed in high noise level areas. Exposure to cleaning solutions, fumes, dust, animal danger and bodily fluids. Physical efforts require constant bending, stooping, standing, climbing stairs, and walking. Frequent lifting of animals and objects with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Must be able to maintain professionalism, composure, and compassion in emotionally charged situations and able to resolve conflicts effectively.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Skills/Knowledge: Customer service experience. Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail. Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Excellent customer service skills including verbal and written communications. Ability to accurately perform cash, computer, and paperwork transactions.
- Education/Training: High school diploma or equivalent.
- Experience: One year of customer service experience and animal handling preferred.
The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by an employee in this classification. It is not to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory, or all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of employees assigned to this job. Management has the right to add to, revise, or delete