Pet Care Specialist Lead

Full-Time Available

The Barking Birch Pet Lodge is a home away from home for pets. We pride ourselves in providing top-notch housing and boarding for pets while their families are away. A Pet Care Specialist Lead attends leadership meetings, trains new Barking Birch employees using best practices, and helps the Pet Care Manager daily tasks for employees.

The position is one that helps the leadership team uphold the high expectations we have for guests, their owners, and our staff.

Starting wage: $15.50

Responsibilites

We treat all our dogs (and their humans) as individuals. We get to know them by name and temperament. To ensure the safety of the pack, a Pet Care Specialist Team Lead is tasked with making note of pack cliques and playing “ruff-eree” when necessary (whistle not included). Team Leads are tasked with instructing Pet Care Specialist 1’s and 2’s in daily activities and responsibilities alongside managers and leadership staff.

Responsibilities include:

Handle pets at check-in and check-out, including organizing pet belongings and accessories as needed and recognizing dogs and owners by name
Helping PC1’s and PC2’s learn the names of pets and their owners
Overseeing group play of 10 to 20 dogs
Conduct new dog behavioral interviews and dog instructions to play groups
Prepare and distribute meals, treats, fresh water, and medications (as needed)
Record and report accurate information on the status, activities, health & behavior of each dog
Recognize the nuances of dog behavior – distinguishing energetic play from unwanted behavior, and helping other team members do the same
Take photos for social media and post on various platforms
Clean and sanitize kennels and dog play areas including sweeping, mopping, laundry, and dishes
Instruct new employees in proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures
Document and store food, medication, and belongings for guests
Working with dogs individually and in groups
Ensuring the safety and security of our furry friends
Watch for debris from trees and remove them from play areas
Set daily rotation schedules
Guiding Pet Care Specialist 1’s and 2’s to stay on task and keep busy
Documenting and reporting dog behavior to fill out report cards
Handling customer complaints or care concerns

Skills Required

As a Pet Care Specialist Team Lead, you need a passion for dogs and high energy to provide canines with endless entertainment. We actively work with dogs to teach them good social skills. As a Team Lead, you should also be comfortable directing and assisting team members and new employees.

Other qualifications include:

Love for the outdoors
Ability to be physically active
Ability to work with dogs of all sizes
Ability to work effectively on a team
Can handle loud noises and stress
Extremely reliable
Have a strong work ethic
Detail-oriented
Available to work some holidays and weekends
Assist with maintenance as required (spreading rock, leaf blowing, general picking up, etc.)
Strong communication skills

Two dogs close together outside The Barking Birch.

Work Environment

Playing with our dogs is very active job. It involves standing, walking, bending, stooping, and cleaning. Sometimes, it’s not just our dogs that go home tired.

Keeping play and rest areas clean and sanitary requires the use of commercial cleaning agents. Sensitivity to these chemicals and/or animal biohazards may require the use of gloves and/or face masks.

The dogs that visit our resort insist on being accompanied during playtime in all weather conditions. Because their comfort (and demands) is our top priority, our staff is exposed to every type of Minnesota outdoor exposure that is safe for our canine guests.

All animals at barking Birch are required to be up to date with their vaccinations. First-time visitors are required to go through a behavior assessment to ensure the safety of canine and human pack members. Even so, working around animals can be unpredictable. We require our human pack members to be alert and undistracted at all times.

Team Requirements

The members of our pack understand that when working with animals, they must value integrity, responsibility, and patience. Understanding the needs of our animals and their behavior is not always predictable or easy.

Throughout the day, we work in groups and individually with team members and animals. It is important that we practice collaborative communication with our fellow team members and pet owners. This allows us to quickly and accurately report any behavioral or situational concerns.

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This is a full-time position and requires open availability - 6AM-10PM.

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