Animal Care Worker - Full-Time

Our Vision: To be a leader in animal welfare, working for a compassionate society where all animals are respected and valued.

Our Mission: To Improve the Lives of Animals.

Job Summary

Animal Care Workers (ACWs), under direction of the Manager, Shelter Care & Training, are responsible for the husbandry, enrichment, and cleaning of animal care facilities for animals within the Society’s care.

This includes ensuring proper housing, nutrition, exercising, and socialization for shelter animals, and maintaining cleanliness in shelter areas.

Job Duties

• Interact with all animals safely, respectfully, and in a manner that minimizes stress.
• Complete daily cleaning and disinfecting routines of animal housing areas and equipment (e.g. food bowls, litterboxes, carrying cages, etc.) in a timely fashion.
  • Maintain assigned area in a clean, organized, and professional manner while following all infection control protocols.
  • May require use of mechanical cleaning tools (e.g. industrial floor scrubber.)
• Feed animals appropriate diet and ensure supply of fresh water daily.
• Observe and evaluate animals daily and monitor animal health and welfare.
  • Communicate any medical or behavioural concerns regarding animals; follow established protocols and document as appropriate.
• Wash laundry and complete garbage/recycling duties daily.
• Provide animal enrichment, including exercise, training, and socialization for cats, dogs, and special species.
  • Includes walking dogs outside in all weather
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure efficiency of care and support.
  • Attend daily team meetings to keep up to date with shelter operations.
  • Participate in weekly departmental meetings to discuss ongoing care.
  • Transportation of animals through use of Society vehicles to appointments, picking up/dropping off transfers of animals as needed.
• Be aware of and work within the regulations of all Toronto Humane Society policies and protocols.
• Support the activities of volunteers, students, and work placements and provide training and orientation as required.
• Work in compliance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, including understanding and adhering to the requirements of the Health and Safety Manual, and any other rules and regulations established by the Society.
• Foster, promote, support and drive inclusion and influence others to promote, embrace and progress diversity, equity and inclusion at the Society.
• Attend and participate in workshops, seminars, and in-service training to further education, skills, and training.
• Other duties as required in the day-to-day operation of the Society.

Job Requirements

• Certificate in Animal Care, Veterinary Assistant or other relevant education completed or in progress.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with animals - preferably in a shelter, kennel, veterinary clinic, or volunteer environment.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.
• Formal animal care knowledge, training and/or experience an asset.
• Knowledge of disease transmission/infection control an asset.
• Comfortable working with and handling various types and sizes of animals.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and physically demanding environment.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Moderate level computer skills.
• Alignment with Toronto Humane Society’s mission vision, and values, policies and procedures.

Work Conditions

• Flexible hours including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Occasional overtime.
• Working in a busy environment with frequent interruptions.
• Interaction with students, volunteers, employees, management, and the public under varying circumstances, including sensitive situations.
• Involves the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy to moderately heavy objects and materials and some combination of climbing and balancing to include stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling.
• Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, weather, temperature and noise extremes, hazardous materials, traffic hazards, bright/dim lights, toxic agents, animal bites/attacks, disease, pathogenic substances, or rude/irate customers.

This posting is for an existing job vacancy.

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Candidate Potential

At Toronto Humane Society, we value diverse perspectives and recognize that a great candidate may not check every box. If you're passionate about animal welfare and believe you have the potential to excel in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you may not meet every listed qualification. You just might be the right candidate for this or other roles. We are committed to providing a supportive environment for professional growth and development.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Toronto Humane Society is committed to building and sustaining a diverse and equitable workplace where people’s unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, respected, and welcome. We recognize that a diverse and empowered workforce helps us better serve our animals, clients, and community and contributes to Toronto Humane Society’s overall growth and success. Therefore, we strongly encourage qualified applications from underrepresented and equity-deserving groups within the animal welfare sector, including Indigenous, Black, racialized, newcomers, 2S/LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities.

Accommodation Needs

Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the Bona-fide requirements for the open position. Applicants need to make their requirements known when contacted.

Use of AI in Recruitment

To streamline our hiring process, we utilize an applicant tracking system (ATS) to manage and organize applications. While the ATS aids in efficiency, the core evaluation of candidates is carried out by our human resources team. This approach ensures a personalized review that allows us to gain a comprehensive understanding of the applicant's unique skills and potential.

Next Steps

We thank all applicants for their interest in Toronto Humane Society, however due to the high number of applications we receive, only those selected will be contacted for an interview.