Adoption Advisors are responsible for client care at the Humane Society of the Black Hills. They facilitate the animal adoption process by matching potential adopters with the best possible new companion; providing impeccable customer service; imparting accurate information; maintaining a safe and healthy environment; processing sales transactions; and keeping precise records.

Essential Duties and Functions:

People Care

• Provide quality customer service to clients, volunteers, and staff while actively promoting the Society’s mission, services, programs, and events.
• Assist clients with animal adoption and visitation.
• Interpret evaluation/assessments of dogs and cats to facilitate the best match of client and animal.
• Facilitate client/animal interactions to insure a safe and pleasant experience.
• Complete adoption agreements, microchip registration forms, and insurance registration, provide and discuss medical history, provide the list of participating veterinarians for surgeries.
• Schedule surgery appointments for adoptable animals.
• Transport animals to veterinary for surgery.
• Provide adoption follow-up through phone and email contact.
• Answer telephone calls promptly and courteously, providing accurate information.
• Promote enrollment in public dog training classes.
• Model and encourage the humane treatment of animals.
• Promote donation and giving opportunities as appropriate; accept and acknowledge monetary and in-kind donations.
• Represent the Humane Society in a positive manner by professional personal appearance.

Record Keeping

• Complete all necessary forms and data entry to process adoptions.
• Complete timely and accurate computer data entry; ensure data integrity using both paper and computer based filing systems.
• Maintain materials related to adoptions, education and programs.

Facility Care

• Ensure kennels are free of feces and blankets are clean and dry.
• Follow established disease control protocols to clean, disinfect, and maintain shelter and general areas.
• Ensure work stations are kept clean, orderly and maintained daily.

Animal Care

• Report health abnormalities to medical personnel.
• Report behavior abnormalities to a supervisor.
• Assist with evaluation and treatment processes.
• Feed dogs.

Volunteers

• Work cooperatively with all volunteers and recognize the talent and commitment they bring to the Society.

Safety

• Ensure a safe work environment, following all safety guidelines, including PPE, and modeling safe work practice.
• Take immediate action to address any safety concerns that could put a staff member, volunteer, client, animal, or the organization at risk.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a kennel/shelter setting.
• Frequent bending, reaching, kneeling, and sitting at a computer workstation 4-8 hours per day.
• Exposure to disinfectant solutions when in the kennel area.
• Subject to animal bites and scratches while handling animals.
• Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds with reasonable accommodations.
• Consistently exposed to animals and animal allergens under conditions with limited alternatives available.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Customer service experience.
• Available to work weekends and overtime as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to the mission, values, goals, and success of the Humane Society of the Black Hills.
• Highly motivated, out-going, polite, and professional manner.
• Team player, able to work in a fast-pace environment and multi-tasker
• Compassion for animals, comfortable working in the shelter environment.
• Knowledge of animal breeds and behavior helpful.
• Computer skills