Location: SPCA Wake Pet Adoption Center

Overview: The Animal Care Specialist at the SPCA of Wake County is responsible for daily care and enrichment (feeding, training, socializing) for the pets who are living at the Pet Adoption Center. They also work with volunteers and customers.

A Day in the Life: This job is so much more than cleaning kennels (though there is a fair amount of that, to be honest). The Animal Care Specialist improves the quality of life for SPCA pets. In the morning you might delegate your two volunteers to clean the dog kennels while you clean up after the kittens. After the Adoption Center opens, you talk to a family of six about several different dogs they're interested in. Then you help an older couple who has questions about how to introduce the dog they like to the dog they already have at home. After lunch, it's time to take one of the dogs outside for a bit of training. Everyone is hoping that having some tricks and manners under his belt will help this high-energy fellow get adopted faster. After that, you help a family with a child find their perfect guinea pig that they saved up all year for!

You Might Be A Born Animal Care Specialist If:

• When you saw the movie How to Train Your Dragon, you really identified with Hiccup's training methods.
• You're equally comfortable talking to pets or people - you can communicate with either!
• You consider yourself to be a bit of a time management freak – you love nothing more than thinking about the most effective way to get your work done
• Sometimes your friends call you Joy, referring to the character from Inside Out, and you’re flattered because you love her upbeat way of approaching life.
• You’re the first to notice when one of your (or your family’s) pets isn’t acting right and do something about it
• You've never considered yourself just a "dog person" or "cat person"; you'd snuggle up to any critter that let you!

The Nitty Gritty:

• We are looking to add a team member while one of our own is on maternity leave. This position is temporary, with the possibility of becoming permanent if the position becomes open during the temporary time frame. This position will have an estimated start date no later than the beginning of February.
• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Full-time (40 hours/week)
• Hourly pay rate is $11.00
• Will be regularly exposed to (and required to use) cleaning chemicals, including bleach and other caustic disinfectants
• Must be able to drive different transport vehicles of various sizes
• Is likely to be exposed to parasites, viruses, bacteria, and fungi that could be zoonotic
• Must be in reasonable physical shape: comfortable kneeling, crouching, reaching over head and lifting, carrying, and pulling up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to work in a variety of conditions including very cold and very hot, indoors and out, and work with high noise level, foul odors, and potentially fractious animals

Interested? Please send resume, cover letter and SPCA employment application to Kim Flowers at kflowers@spcawake.org. Only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews; no phone calls please (we’ll have our people call your people).

Location: SPCA Wake Admission Center

Overview: Before they can be available for adoption, SPCA pets live at the SPCA Admission Center. The Animal Care Specialist at the SPCA of Wake County is responsible for daily care for those pets.

A Day in the Life: This job is so much more than cleaning kennels (though there is a fair amount of that, to be honest). The Animal Care Specialist improves the quality of life for SPCA pets. In the morning you might clean kennels and hold a few dogs while they get vaccines. Then after lunch you might find yourself comforting a nervous cat with some quiet, one-on-one attention in between loads of laundry. Later you might organize a play date for two dogs who need a little extra exercise to be happy. It’s all in a day’s work for the Animal Care Specialist.

You Might Be A Born Animal Care Specialist If:

• You spend your evenings reading books and web articles about dog and cat body language
• Your goal in life is to have a house full of pets to look after
• You consider yourself to be a bit of a time management freak
• You love nothing more than thinking about the most effective way to get your work done
• You’re the first to notice when one of your (or your family’s) pets isn’t acting right and do something about itThe Nitty Gritty:

• High school diploma or equivalent required -Full-time (40 hours/week)
• Hourly pay rate is $11.00 + great benefits
• Will be regularly exposed to (and required to use) cleaning chemicals, including bleach and other caustic disinfectants
• Is likely to be exposed to parasites, viruses, bacteria, and fungi that could be zoonotic
• Must be in reasonable physical shape: comfortable kneeling, crouching, reaching over head and lifting, carrying, and pulling up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to work in a variety of conditions including very cold and very hot, indoors and out, and work with high noise level, foul odors, and potentially fractious animals

Interested? Please send a resume, SPCA employment application, and letter of interest to Elicia Senff at esenff@spcawake.org. Only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews; no phone calls please (we’ll have our people call your people).