Animal Care Specialist

Allegan County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County’s natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.
Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty. A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We have been recognized by Gallagher as “Best in Class Winner” among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well-being for three years in a row (2023-2025). We have also received the “Impact Award” from M.E.R.S. for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!

Job Summary: 

This position provides advanced animal care, behavioral assessment, enrichment planning, and operational support for the Allegan County Animal Shelter. This position ensures humane treatment, safe handling and high-quality care of shelter animals while offering guidance and mentorship to Animal Care staff. The position serves as backup to the Operations Supervisor to support continuity of daily shelter operations and issue escalation. This role provides technical leadership but does not exercise formal supervisory authority.

Starting Wage: $24.26 per hour, full-time 

Excellent Benefits Plan:  Health benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date
- Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which have $0 premium)
- County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans
- County-paid employee life insurance coverage
- County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks
- Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings
- Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses
- Generous PTO plan, including front-loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.
- 13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO
- FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers 

Responsibilities and Duties: 

1. Assist with animal intake assessments and documentation, including kennel cards and behavioral intake notes.
2. Lead behavioral observation and evaluation processes to support safe handling, adoption matching, and appropriate housing placement.
3. Develop and implement enrichment plans to promote physical and psychological well-being.
4. Perform daily animal care duties including feeding, watering, grooming, exercise, enrichment, cleaning, and health monitoring. Identify and communicate health or behavioral concerns.
5. Provide mentorship and guidance to Animal Care staff to reinforce safe handling, sanitation standards, and humane care practices.
6. Maintain accurate and complete documentation for animal care, feeding schedules, vaccinations, behavioral observations, and health-related records.
7. Assist in maintaining a clean, sanitary, and organized shelter environment in compliance with safety and biosecurity standards.
8. Monitor and update inventory levels for animal food and care supplies.
9. Participate in shelter events, outreach initiatives, and community education activities.
10. Serve as backup to the Operations Supervisor in coordinating daily shelter operations, workflow, staffing communication, and escalation of safety or operational concerns.
11. Other duties as assigned

Required Education and Experience: 

1. High School Diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.).
2. Passion for helping and treating animals
3. Previous experience in animal care or other related fields is preferred
4. Understanding of basic dog behavior, body language, and signs of mental “breakdown” in dogs, as well as the ability to respond appropriately, in a calm non-threatening manner
5. Ability to handle aggressive and/or injured animals in a manner that is safe for animals and shelter staff, for purposes of intake, kenneling, medical care, etc. and euthanasia, if necessary.
6. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions and changing work priorities
7. Detail-oriented, Self-motivated as well as Team-oriented
8. Effective time management and organizational skills
9. Effective verbal and written communication skills
10. Effective interpersonal and customer service skills