MCFA / Eastbourne Animal Shelter Pet Care Specialist (Clinic/Kennels)

Reports To:

Shelter Manager Status:

20 hours week / Part-Time, Non-Exempt The Pet Care Specialist provides comprehensive daily care, including cleaning and maintaining living spaces, delivering enrichment and socialization, and ensuring animals' physical health and behavioral health needs are being met. This role also upholds the integrity of our care standards by updating records, documenting behavior and health observations, and assisting with intake to welcome new animals safely and compassionately into the shelter, and more. Key Responsibilities

• Ensure each animal has meaningful, positive interaction with a human every day through play, petting, walking, training, or other appropriate engagement.
• Provide compassionate daily care, including feeding, watering, cleaning, and monitoring animal health and behavior.
• Handle animals safely and according to Fear Free handling techniques.
• Walk dogs of all sizes and leash manners safely.
• Observe animals for signs of illness, stress, or behavioral issues; report concerns promptly to the Shelter Manager.
• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene of kennels, cages, and surrounding areas; perform deep cleaning and sanitizing as needed.
• Assist clinic staff with animal handling and restraint during medical procedures.
• Follow enrichment plans and ensure animals receive toys, activities, or other species-appropriate stimulation.
• Accurately complete daily logs and records related to animal care and behavior.
• Maintain inventory of cleaning supplies and report needs as required.
• Follow all safety protocols and procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned. Customer Service
• Deliver excellent customer service, addressing concerns and resolving issues promptly.

Shelter & Operations Support Because MCFA is a small nonprofit animal shelter, all staff contribute to overall operations.

Responsibilities may include:

Assisting with customer service at the front desk. Supporting adoption counseling or visitor assistance. Helping with animal intake documentation or recordkeeping. Providing backup support to shelter or clinic teams during busy periods. Participating in events, fundraisers, or community outreach. Occasional weekend work required based on operational needs. Requirements Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds without assistance.
• Ability to spend the majority of an 8-hour shift on feet, walking, standing, bending, kneeling, and reaching.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, or snow.
• Frequent exposure to cleaning chemicals and animal waste, including feces, urine, vomit, and blood.
• Work is performed in a shelter environment that may be noisy, fast-paced, and emotionally challenging at times.

This role requires a strong nonprofit animal‑shelter mindset, grounded in compassion, patience, and a commitment to serving both animals and the community. Candidates should be motivated by mission-driven work, comfortable operating in a resource-conscious environment, and dedicated to ensuring the well‑being, dignity, and humane treatment of every animal in our care. Success in this position comes from teamwork, empathy, adaptability, and a genuine desire to support lifesaving efforts rather than focusing solely on traditional commercial metrics.

Pay:

$15.00 - $16.50 per hour

Work Location:

In person