Integrated Care Assistant; Animal Care

Position: Integrated Care Assistant (Animal Care)
Summary:

If you are passionate about delivering high-quality care for animals who have been victims of cruelty and neglect, and you thrive in a fast-paced, team environment, the position of Integrated Care Assistant (ICA) at the Animal Recovery Center may be for you.

The Animal Recovery Center recovers and rehabilitates animals admitted through NYPD and ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) and Community Engagement (CE) programs. This facility is dedicated to recovering and rehabilitating dogs and cats who have suffered physical and emotional trauma and delivers medical and behavioral interventions to prepare them for adoption or return to the owner when appropriate.

AICAs support the behavioral and medical recovery and rehabilitation of animals in the ARC by providing medical treatments and behavioral enrichment and interventions, including during all animal care activities. AICAs interact with animals during their recovery to detect potential problems or changes in their medical or behavioral progress and communicate those effectively to clinical professionals, administer medications, provide daily care, engage in behavioral enrichment activities, and document/maintain records of all activities.

One of the most critical functions of this role is serving as a member of a team of medical, behavior and sheltering personnel, all dedicated to working together to provide holistic care for all our animals.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Behavior 40%:

* Engage in behavioral and enrichment activities, following enrichment program protocols. Recommend animal-specific changes to regimen, including frequency, duration, or type.

* Assist in behavioral health evaluations, assessments, trainings, and other animal interventions.

* Exercise and socialize animals and manage playgroups, under the direction and guidance of the ARC and CARE Behavior team. Abide by existing dog-walking programs and observe and report reactions with environmental events or human/animal interactions, and/or problems/changes in urination or defecation. Encourage healthy behaviors and interactions throughout, and reward animals appropriately.

* Feed animals, provide clean water, and ensure a clean environment while interacting with animals to encourage and promote healthy behaviors, and detecting, logging, and reporting to the medical and behavior teams any irregularities or changes in animal nutrition, hydration, or behaviors (including responses to your interactions). Observing animals during these interactions is vital to the recognizing medical and behavioral changes/abnormalities early, maximizing the efficacy of potential treatments.

* Monitor the comfort of shelter animals, looking for any signs of distress, anxiety, or physical ailments, and ensure that their physical environment is not resulting in discomfort (e.g., appropriate bedding (clean and fold laundry), space, adverse neighboring animals, including by maintaining the cleanliness of both animal enclosures and other work spaces that facilitate the arrival of new animals.

* Always provide safe and smooth fear free handling of animals.

* Monitor animal holding areas for appropriate music and/or auditory stimulation and report observations.

Medical 40%:

* Ensure the welfare of animals in our care by attending to their physical and emotional health and comfort, following all ASPCA protocols.

* Read and follow all kennel signage and treatment sheets regarding animal treatment and care.

* Under the guidance of the ARC medical team, administer medication and medical treatments in a low stress manner, following all medication administration protocols.

* Recognize potential medical issues and communicate effectively with medical teams so that they can quickly and effectively attend to animals.

Team Support 20%:

* Send timely medical and behavior observation reports and actively engage with the team to implement interventions.

* Work in partnership with other teams (Medical, Behavior, and across departments) to continually develop knowledge, and support continuity of care for the animals.

* Collaborate with other ICAs, and attend and actively participate in daily ICA rounds, to support the continuity of care for the animals.

* Integrate volunteers into daily care, providing guidance and coaching as needed; demonstrate respect and gratitude for volunteer support.

* Transport animals, using low-stress animal handling techniques and following applicable organizational policies and protocols, between ASPCA facilities and to partner agencies.

* Attend and participate in team meetings and training classes as scheduled.

* Deploy locally or nationally as part of an ASPCA response once per year.

Exemplifies the ASPCA's Core Values:

* Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals

* Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes

* Believes in Team - that we are stronger together

* Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible

* Focuses on Impact, specifically…