Intake/Animal Care Technician

Intake/Animal Care Technician Paws Humane Society - 1.0 Columbus, GA Job Details Full-time $15 - $18 an hour 1 day ago Benefits Health insurance Dental insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Qualifications Record keeping Medication administration Veterinary clinic experience Collecting samples for laboratory testing Dog handling Organizational skills Animal welfare Vaccination administration Veterinary assistant experience Full Job Description Reports to:

Director of Animal Services Job Summary:

Paws Humane Society is seeking an experienced, responsible, and detail-oriented full-time Intake / Animal Care Technician. This position is responsible for processing animals admitted through Paws Humane Society. The Intake / Animal Care Technician provides initial medical care and intake procedures, completes documentation, scans for identification, and supports the daily care of animals housed in intake, medical isolation, or quarantine areas. This position requires strong animal handling skills, technical ability, organization, and good judgment in a fast-paced shelter environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Duties include, but are not limited to: Process newly admitted animals Conduct initial health assessments and note visible medical concerns, injuries, parasites, body condition, signs of illness, or other abnormalities. Conduct preliminary observations during intake and handling, documenting those within our software system. Safely and humanely handle and restrain dogs and cats of all sizes, breeds, temperaments, and medical conditions. Administer vaccines, medications, dewormers, flea prevention, and other treatments according to shelter protocols and veterinary direction. Perform blood draws on both dogs and cats as required. Scan all incoming animals for microchips and other identification. Implant microchips as needed and ensure information is entered accurately. Collect, enter, and maintain accurate animal records in the shelter management system, including intake source, medical notes, vaccines, medications, behavior notes, microchip information, and photos. Communicate medical or behavioral concerns promptly Monitor animals for changes in health, behavior, appetite, elimination, hydration, or overall condition. Oversee the care of animals housed in medical isolation, quarantine, or other designated areas. Administer medications and treatments to animals according to instructions and protocols. Clean and sanitize kennels, cages, runs, litter boxes, bedding, dishes, and related equipment. Follow disease control and sanitation protocols to help reduce the spread of illness. Ensure animals have appropriate food, clean water, bedding, enrichment, and basic comfort. Maintain a clean, stocked, and organized intake area. Work collaboratively with animal care, medical, and animal services staff. Maintain professionalism and compassion when interacting with pet owners, community members, animal control officers, volunteers, and coworkers. Support the organization's mission, values, and commitment to humane animal care. Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Minimum of one year of hands-on animal care, veterinary assistant, shelter technician, or related experience preferred. Experience in an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, animal control facility, rescue organization, or similar environment strongly preferred. Must be able and willing to safely restrain dogs and cats of all sizes and temperaments. Proficiency in blood draws on both dogs and cats is required. Proficiency in administering vaccines is required. Experience administering medications by various routes is preferred. Experience with microchip scanning and implantation preferred. Must be comfortable working with animals that may be sick, injured, fearful, fractious, under-socialized, or behaviorally challenging. Must be able to recognize basic signs of illness, injury, pain, stress, and behavioral concern in dogs and cats. Must have strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain accurate records. Must be organized, dependable, and able to manage multiple tasks in a busy environment. Must be able to follow written and verbal instructions, shelter protocols, and veterinary directives. Must communicate clearly and professionally with supervisors, coworkers, and members of the public. Must be able to work independently while also functioning as part of a team. Must be willing to work weekends, holidays, and flexible hours as needed.

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to stand, walk, bend, kneel, squat, reach, and lift throughout the workday. Must be able to lift and carry animals, supplies, food bags, and equipment as needed. Must be able to safely handle animals weighing up to 50 pounds; assistance should be used for heavier animals when appropriate. Must be comfortable working in a shelter environment with exposure to animal noise, odors, cleaning chemicals, animal waste, zoonotic disease risk, and emotionally difficult situations.

Work Environment:

This position is based in an animal shelter environment and involves direct contact with dogs, cats, and other animals. The role may involve exposure to animals with unknown medical or behavioral histories, contagious disease, parasites, bites, scratches, loud noise, strong odors, and cleaning agents. The Intake / Animal Care Technician must be able to remain calm, professional, and focused in a fast-paced and sometimes emotionally challenging environment. This position requires compassion for animals and people while maintaining strong safety, sanitation, and documentation standards.

Preferred Qualifications:

Veterinary assistant or shelter medicine experience. Experience working with animal control intake. Experience using shelter management software. Knowledge of common shelter diseases, vaccine protocols, parasite control, and infectious disease prevention. Experience handling fearful, fractious, or high-stress animals using safe and humane handling practices.

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$15.00 - $18.00 per hour

Benefits:

Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person