Organizational Summary

It’s an exciting time to join the Cincinnati Animal CARE team! Cincinnati Animal CARE is the new county Humane Society in Hamilton County and with this change in operational leadership comes the opportunity to be part of a new beginning in Greater Cincinnati animal services.

We are a progressive, lifesaving community resource. We believe that every animal deserves a holistic approach and individualized care and consideration. We trust the people in our community and value collaboration. Lifesaving is a community ethic.

Job Description

The B&T Specialist will work on a team responsible for the behavioral health and wellness of all dogs at Cincinnati Animal CARE. This person will provide the highest level of care, training, assessments, enrichment, and behavioral development to our animals. This person must be aligned with departmental goals and the shelter’s mission, as well as, adhere to progressive, best practice shelter training and behavior modification policies and protocols.

We are seeking a B&T Specialist who embraces change and growth, loves to learn and brings a positive and open-minded attitude to every challenge. This person must be a strong leader who values giving and receiving feedback. A commitment to a positive, non-judgemental, and collaborative work environment is a must. We believe that every day at Cincinnati Animal CARE is a day to do something great for the people and animals in our community. Cincinnati Animal CARE has been selected as one of 16 Tier 1 pilot cities for the new American Pets Alive! HASS (Human Animal Support Services) program and HSUS Pets for Life Program. The B&T Specialist will report directly to the Dog Operations Manager.

A successful candidate must demonstrate the following characteristics:

Positive communication
A commitment to holistic assessments, training and programming
Outside-the-box thinking and problem solving
Show a strong attention to detail
Ability to prioritize
Be able to work with minimal supervision
Cooperative attitude and commitment to working with a team
A commitment to and alignment with Cincinnati Animal CARE’s lifesaving mission

Expectations of Employee

Believes in the mission of Cincinnati Animal CARE and understands the lifesaving relationship between our organization and the community we serve.
Treats animals humanely, with love and concern both on and off the job and transmit these values to others.
Adheres to all CAC organizational policies and procedures.
Adheres to all CAC safety policies and reports injuries to the Director within 24 hours of injury.
Makes a good appearance, positive attitude, and can deal tactfully and effectively with the public.
Communicates regularly with the Director about departmental issues.
Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
Participates in meetings with other CAC personnel, including and shares ideas and suggestions designed to improve working conditions and the organization’s ability to meet its lifesaving objectives.
Can lift up to 50 lbs. long periods of standing, bending, and intermittent exposure to high noise levels.
Recognizes the value volunteers bring to the organization. Encourages and develops volunteers to support the program’s objectives.
A willingness and enthusiasm for a continued state of learning regarding Animal Welfare.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Primary focus is the development of CAC’s daily playgroup program using the Dogs Playing For Life philosophies.
Secondary Focus is the development of CAC’s daily enrichment program for the population of dogs at the shelter.
Work with the Dog Operations Manager to further develop playgroup reporting and tracking to quantify the success of the program.
Implement a training program for CAC’s playgroup volunteers.
Assist in maintaining a program for individuals needing training hours in pursuit of a dog training certification (ABCDT, CPDT-KA, etc.).
Implement behavior protocols for individual animals and the general shelter population
Find ways to improve upon CAC’s holistic, daily enrichment program.
Identify, observe and immediately address any animals showing signs of FAS (fear, anxiety, stress), kennel deterioration or a decline in health or behavior.
Assist with all staff and volunteer behavior assessment requests.
Perform basic but holistic assessments on all new arrival dogs to create a behavior baselines and outcome paths and recommendations.
Commit to exhausting all options for a live outcome before recommending euthanasia.
Identify dogs that would benefit from behavioral foster homes and assist with preparing those homes for success.
Assist with the development of public-facing behavior and training programs for the HASS (Human Animal Support Services) program for the purpose of pet retention and community support.
Assist with behavior and training support consultations for community pet owners who are considering shelter surrender due to behavioral issues, as needed.
Perform any other shelter duties as directed by the Shelter Director, Medical Director or Dog Operations Manager.

Major Essential Duties

Follow and promote stringent safety protocols and guidelines
Think outside the box and utilize the ideas of other shelter behavior professionals when faced with a difficult animals
Stay current on shelter behavior and training best practice
Must be able and willing to work with unpredictable, difficult, and sometimes dangerous animals
Must take a collaborative approach and know when to ask for help
Must approach each animal as an individual and set aside bias, conscious or unconscious
Be present and timely for the duration of each work day
Be empathetic and compassionate when interacting with the animals, staff and public
Foster a work environment that motivates our team and inspires exceptional work
Make a commitment to working cooperatively with volunteers and develop positive relationships to grow the behavior program
Work collaboratively with shelter staff, including Animal Care staff, Adoption Counselors, the Medical Team, and Foster and Volunteer Coordinators
Adhere to the Cincinnati Animal CARE Culture Agreement which includes behaving in a manner that promotes a fun, positive work environment
Demonstrate a commitment to transparency

Qualifications

High school or equivalent (Preferred)
Dog handling: 2 years (Preferred)
Professional Certification or actively working towards (Required)
DPFL playgroups: 1 year (Strongly Preferred)

Education and/or Experience

High School Diploma or equivalent, college-level courses preferred
ABCDT, CPDT, KPDT, CBCC, or IAABC CSB-D strongly preferred. A professional certification is required for this position. Those actively pursuing such a certification will also be considered.
Minimum 2 years experience training and working with animals in a shelter environment
Minimum if 1 year experience running dog play groups using the philosophies of DPFL
Knowledge and preference of positive reinforcement animal training, behavior and enrichment
Experience developing, or assisting with the development, of a shelter behavior program preferred
Comfort with public speaking and experience teaching adults in seminar-type and training class-type settings preferred
Experience teaching and using positive reinforcement training techniques, animal behavior and body language observations and evaluation
Desire to participate in regular professional development through Maddie’s Fund, American Pets Alive!, Dogs Playing for Life, and Best Friends Animal Society opportunities
Proficiency in Google Drive, Sheets, Docs and gmail
Knowledge of animal disease symptoms

Language Skills

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with the public, staff, and volunteers
Ability to read, interpret and execute policies, procedures, and professional publications
Possess strong oral and listening skills
Demonstrate critical evaluation and observational skills

Other Knowledge and/or Skills

Ability to handle sensitive issues in a professional and discrete manner
Demonstrate critical thinking
Ability to work under general supervision
Ability to maintain accurate behavioral records
Ability to exercise judgment, tact and diplomacy
Knowledge of the occupational hazards and corresponding safety precautions necessary for the safe performance of assigned duties

Requirements

Must be 18 years or older
Ability to stand for long periods of time
Must be able to lift up to 50lbs
Adherence to the applicable provisions of the Organization’s Policies & Procedures, the HR Policy Manual, and any other procedures, rules, regulations, and policies set forth by appropriate authorities
Must have personal integrity and remain free of felony convictions
Must maintain confidentiality

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Exposure to unvetted animals is frequent; basic knowledge of animal behavior and common sense is needed.

Cincinnati Animal CARE provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, pregnancy, gender, disability, national origin, ethnic background, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $16.00 per hour

Benefits

401(k)
401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Paid time off
Vision insurance

Schedule

8 hour shifts
Day shift
Holidays
Weekend availability

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions or qualifications associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, for example, emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, or technological breakdowns in departments.

Behavior and Training Specialist