Helping Hounds Dog Rescue is now hiring for:

Animal Care Attendant  Hours Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8am-11am.

Position Summary 

The Animal Care Attendant I is responsible for providing exceptional daily care for all dogs at Helping Hounds Dog Rescue. This position ensures that animal housing areas remain clean, safe, and sanitary while promoting the physical and emotional well-being of every dog through exercise, enrichment, observation, and compassionate care. Animal Care Attendants serve as ambassadors for the organization by providing excellent customer service to adopters, volunteers, and visitors while supporting the mission of Helping Hounds. 

Essential Job Functions 

Animal Care 

• Thoroughly clean, disinfect, and maintain all kennel areas, isolation spaces, play yards, offices, laundry areas, and common spaces according to shelter sanitation protocols. 

• Provide fresh food and clean water according to feeding schedules and individual medical or behavioral needs. 

• Ensure clean bedding, toys, and enrichment items are available and appropriately maintained. 

• Walk dogs throughout the day using safe handling techniques. 

• Provide daily enrichment, socialization, and positive interactions to promote each dog’s physical and emotional well-being. 

• Observe each dog for changes in behavior, appetite, mobility, or overall health and promptly report concerns to the Animal Care Manager or Supervisor. 

• Safely handle dogs of various sizes, breeds, temperaments, and energy levels. 

• Assist with dog introductions, playgroups, and enrichment activities as directed. 

• Accurately document feeding, medications (when assigned), enrichment, walks, and observations as required. 

Shelter Operations 

• Receive and organize incoming donations and maintain orderly storage areas. 

• Perform laundry duties throughout the day to ensure an adequate supply of clean bedding and towels. 

• Maintain cleanliness of outdoor play yards, walking paths, and waste disposal areas. 

• Restock cleaning supplies, food, and other daily-use materials. 

• Follow all biosecurity and disease prevention protocols to reduce the spread of illness. 

Animal Welfare & Safety 

• Treat every animal with compassion, patience, and respect. 

• Monitor dogs for signs of stress, fear, illness, injury, or behavioral changes. 

• Immediately report medical emergencies, injuries, or safety concerns. 

• Follow all safety procedures for handling animals and cleaning chemicals. 

• Maintain compliance with Helping Hounds policies and all applicable New York State animal welfare regulations. 

Customer Service 

• Greet adopters, volunteers, and visitors in a friendly and professional manner. 

• Provide accurate information regarding dogs available for adoption. 

• Assist potential adopters in meeting dogs and answer general questions about the adoption process. 

• Promote positive interactions between adopters and animals. 

Teamwork 

• Work collaboratively with fellow staff, volunteers, fosters, and management. 

• Communicate effectively regarding animal care needs and daily operations. 

• Participate in staff meetings and required training. 

• Assist with special events, transports, and other organizational needs as assigned. 

Knowledge 

• Basic understanding of canine behavior and body language. 

• Knowledge of proper cleaning, disinfecting, and disease prevention protocols. 

• Familiarity with safe animal handling techniques. 

• Ability to learn shelter software (Animal Shelter Manager/ASM) and organizational procedures. 

• Knowledge of Helping Hounds policies and adoption procedures. 

Skills & Abilities 

• Demonstrate compassion and patience when working with animals and people. 

• Safely handle dogs of varying sizes and temperaments. 

• Maintain effective working relationships with staff, volunteers, and the public. 

• Work independently while managing multiple priorities. 

• Communicate clearly and professionally. 

• Adapt to changing shelter needs in a fast-paced environment. 

• Maintain confidentiality regarding organizational and adopter information. 

Education & Experience 

• High School Diploma or GED required. 

• Previous experience working with animals is preferred but not required. 

• Experience in animal shelters, veterinary clinics, boarding facilities, or dog daycare is a plus. 

Physical Requirements 

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods. 

• Frequently bend, stoop, kneel, reach, climb, and lift. 

• Lift and carry up to 50 pounds independently. 

• Safely restrain and handle dogs of various sizes. 

• Work indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions. 

• Ability to perform repetitive cleaning and physical tasks throughout the shift. 

Work Environment & Schedule 

• Frequent interruptions in a fast-paced environment. 

• Exposure to animal hair, dander, cleaning chemicals, barking dogs, and unpleasant odors. 

• Ability to remain calm and professional during emotionally challenging situations. 

• Availability to work weekends, holidays, and occasional overtime as needed. 

• Must be punctual, dependable, and maintain regular attendance. 

Other Duties 

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Employees may be assigned additional duties as operational needs require.

Pay $17 per hour, please email your resume to Info@hhdrny.com