Owner Support Coordinator

Description

Since 1984, we’ve dedicated ourselves to ensuring every animal has the quality of life they deserve – a life worth living. Now, we go beyond our walls to help create a more humane community for pets and the people who love them.

Asheville Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We do, however, hold the County contract for animal sheltering. This means that we are the open-admission shelter for all Buncombe County animals.

Position Summary

The Owner Support Coordinator will provide in-person and phone counseling to Buncombe County residents needing to surrender their pets and to finders of stray pets in Buncombe County. They will complete in-depth assessments of client needs, track owner surrender-related data, and provide preventative services aimed at keeping pets in and returning them to their homes. 

The Owner Support Coordinator will also respond to calls on the Helpline forwarded from dispatch, referred by BCAS, or directly from Buncombe County citizens, providing information and resources to callers to help keep owned pets in their homes and reunite lost pets. This position works closely with all Community Solutions department staff and the Shelter intake staff. They will also work closely with volunteers providing support for lost and found reunification.

This position plays a key role in Asheville Humane Society’s Community Sheltering model by identifying alternatives to shelter intake and supporting families in crisis to keep pets out of the shelter whenever safely possible.

Schedule: The Owner Support Counselor works in the AHS Outreach Office, with opportunities to work remotely with supervisor approval. The typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, 9 am-6 pm. 

Compensation & Benefits: The salary for the Owner Support Coordinator starts at $17.50/hour. AHS is pleased to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees that includes: medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Simple IRA plan with up to 3% company match, 18 days of PTO in the first year, paid holidays, pet prescription discounts, and more! Benefits are available after 60 days of employment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide counseling to Buncombe County pet owners experiencing challenges with their pets that may result in relinquishment.
• Serve as a case manager for Community Solutions clients.
• Utilize a risk factor rubric to determine the level of service provision and referral options.
• Utilize creative problem-solving and independent decision-making skills to create solutions for clients.
• Respond to calls from dispatch or directly from citizens for situations that do not require ACOs. 
• Provide the following supportive services and resources to citizens to prevent the need for ACO involvement, reduce owner surrender and divert relinquishment of stay pets: medical assistance, rehoming support, spay/neuter assistance, temporary sheltering, community cats counseling, preventative animal care education and support, vaccine information, pet food assistance, equipment, dog houses, behavior assistance (non-aggressive), and transportation assistance.
• Maintain excellent customer service by phone, email, or in person, accurate record keeping, and timely processing while using data to inform ongoing support services. 
• Attend regular Community Solutions meetings.
• Keep a working knowledge of the medical and behavioral challenges citizens’ pets face and of what resources are available to them.
• Maintain a working knowledge of common medical and behavioral challenges, and ensure behavioral information collected from pet owners and finders is thorough, unbiased, and consistently documented to inform placement and behavior support plans.
• Maintain a working knowledge of crisis management and counseling techniques.
• Uphold a humane and caring attitude at all times to animals, the public, volunteers, and staff.
• Keep an open mindset and a nonjudgmental attitude.
• Develop and maintain a strong professional working relationship with staff and volunteers within AHS and those with outside agency partners, to ensure a cohesive team.
• Collaborate with shelter behavior and placement teams to share detailed owner-provided histories, supporting behavior assessments, and individualized adoption plans.
• Provide empathetic support and resources to clients experiencing housing instability, domestic violence, financial insecurity, or other crises, connecting them to appropriate internal and external services as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED Equivalent required.
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in MS Office programs.
• Written and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of animal protection issues and commitment to the objective of the organization.
• Strong animal handling skills and a working knowledge of pet behavior and medical issues.
• Ability to maintain composure and professional conduct during stressful situations.
• Ability to remain open-minded and respectful regardless of cultural norms or language barriers.
• Experience with case management, counseling, and/or crisis management preferred.
• Experience working with diverse and/or underserved communities strongly preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) strongly preferred, and considered as part of the pay range.

This position requires standing for long periods and sufficient manual dexterity to use animal handling equipment on a regular basis. It requires the ability to stoop, bend, reach, and lift items weighing at least 50 pounds to a level of 4 feet high and the ability to handle dogs weighing up to 150 lbs. This position requires the ability to work with moderate noise in a confined area and sit at a computer for extended periods.