Summary
An animal shelter manager ensures the safety of animals by preventing animal cruelty, and providing resources or assistance to individuals regarding the proper treatment and care of pets and animals.
Duties
The animal shelter manager sets up work schedules, tasks, duties and instructions to his subordinates. He/she trains workers to improve work performance, sets guidelines and monitors conduct of workers to ensure humane treatment of animals is always done, studies and gives revisions to procedures for efficiency and follows policies set by the Animal Shelter Advisory Board. The animal shelter manager also responds to correspondences and files documents or reports related to animal shelter activities, gives public presentations to promote the shelter and educates the public on better humane treatment of animals. Animal shelter managers also lead fundraisers activities on behalf of the animal shelter; find veterinarians to treat sick and ailing animals, supervise the cleaning and disinfecting of shelters and oversee euthanasia of designated animals. Some animal shelter managers may also be responsible for enforcing safety rules, cooperating with workers to solve problems, keeping time records, inspecting the whole animal shelter area and interviewing, hiring and training new employees.
Education and Training Requirements
An associate degree or one to three years related experience and/or training; or a combination of an AA degree and experience is the minimum requirement for work as an animal shelter manager. Most organizations and animal shelters hire animal shelter managers who have certificates or licenses.
Knowledge and Skills Requirements
A genuine and deep love for animals; good cognitive; public relations; good communication; budgetary; teamwork; interpersonal; written; management; leadership; planning and computer skills are necessary to be a capable and good animal shelter manager.
Working Conditions
The animal shelter manager is usually exposed to wet and humid conditions. The noise level is usually moderate. Animal shelter managers follow a 40-hour work schedule, but they often need to work longer hours. Weekend work and some night work is expected. Some traveling is done on speaking engagements and media interviews. The animal shelter manager needs to stand for long periods of time and must be able to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl to inspect and do work on shelter enclosures.
Salary
An animal shelter manager makes $49,000 annually on average. Factors like size of company, location, nature of the industry, benefits and experience may cause salaries to vary considerably amongst animal shelter managers.
