Shelter Operations Technician

Looking to make a difference in the lives of pets and people? With an almost year-round beautiful blue sky and a scenic mountain backdrop, HSPPR is a nonprofit animal shelter serving El Paso, Pueblo, and Douglas Counties as well as the City of Centennial in the colorful State of Colorado. We employ a total of 200+ employees. We are an organization that celebrates and prioritizes diversity and inclusion. HSPPR welcomes you to apply for this exciting opportunity at our socially conscious organization.

Job Summary:

The Shelter Operations Technician aids all customers coming into the shelter, including adoptions, admissions, and licensing in a professional manner. They provide care for the daily needs of all animals within the shelter, including maintaining animal enclosures so they are clean and sanitary; ensuring appropriate feeding; identify sick or injured animals; assisting in the humane euthanasia process; working cohesively with co-workers, other departments and volunteers. They ensure an environment of compassion and respect for animals and people care in accordance with HSPPR's mission, values, goals, and management philosophy.

HSPPR's Mission Statement: HSPPR offers compassionate care to animals, supports safe communities, and provides socially conscious sheltering.

The Shelter Operations Technician plays a vital role in advancing HSPPR's mission by providing compassionate care for animals and exceptional service to the community. This position supports animal welfare through daily husbandry, sanitation, intake, reunification, adoption, and humane end-of-life services while fostering positive, judgment-free interactions with the public. By ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of animals, assisting pet owners during critical times, and promoting respectful community engagement, the Shelter Operations Technician contributes directly to HSPPR's commitment to protecting animals, supporting people, and strengthening the human-animal bond.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Adheres to high quality standards of people care, treating customers in a professional and courteous manner, free of judgement. Ensures performance is consistent with protocols, including but not limited to processing adoptions, returning animals to owners, animal intakes, animal licensing, and surrenders for euthanasia.
• Adheres to high quality standards of animal care, handling, and sanitation, and performance is consistent with protocols, including but not limited to ensuring that animals are fed according to dietary instructions; cleaning and disinfecting of animal enclosures, dishes and other equipment used; completing laundry duties; assists with the flow and movement of the animal population.
• Calmly manage emotionally charged situations with confidence and compassion, de-escalating conflict with upset or angry customers and elevate to appropriate supervisor or outside law enforcement when necessary.
• Work to reunite pets with owners through researching social media or other platforms and contacting owners when appropriate.
• Accurately document all transactions and collect fees giving precise change; accurately reconcile cash box closing financials.
• Provide humane treatment and care to all animals in the shelter, recognize and identify contagious illnesses, diseases or injuries and alert appropriate Veterinary Services staff.
• Assists with intake exams, serving as runner, restrainer, and additional support as needed.
• Maintain food storage, chemical storage, laundry room and food prep area in a clean, uncluttered, and sanitary manner.
• Checks inventory of animals daily to ensure correct animal, correct ID collar, and correct kennel cards are present, reporting unresolved discrepancies to supervisor or manager.
• Performs viewing of animals in accordance with current procedure.
• Assists with the humane euthanasia of animals as well as proper care and disposal of deceased animals.
• Periodically covers overnight on-call emergency animal transport.
• Works cohesively as a part of a dynamic team to meet the needs of animals in care, and community members in need of animal safe keeping and rehoming services.

• Commitment to the mission, values, goals and success of HSPPR.
• Appropriately documents observed animal behaviors utilizing objective language as required in relevant procedures and/or policies.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Duties:

None

Physical Demands:

• Regularly required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, hear, and is frequently required to stand and walk. May be expected to be on feet for extended periods of time.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move 25 or more pounds of moving weight and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 or more pounds of moving weight with reasonable accommodations.
• Occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, smell, talk, and hear.
• Must be able to use both hands and arms to grip, pull and push utilizing safety equipment such as, but not limited, to catch poles, snappy snares, leashes, ropes, muzzles.
• Consistently exposed to animals in the workplace and animal allergens under conditions with limited alternatives available.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
• Potential exposure to zoonotic diseases.
• Regularly exposed to noise and potential exposure to hazardous weather conditions.
• Potential exposure to cleaning supplies and/or other substances containing toxic or caustic chemicals.
• Periodically drives for extended periods of time.
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Schedule Requirements:

• Four-Ten hour day shifts.
• May be required to work mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as required by the organization.
• Fully on-site.

Education/Experience Necessary:

• Ability to effectively read, write, interpret, communicate, perform basic problem solving, and perform basic math as commonly expected from completion of a High School Diploma or Equivalent Education.
  
• Previous animal shelter, boarding kennel, zookeeping, or veterinary clinic experience desired.
  
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
  
• Basic computer skills.
  
• Basic math skills with the ability to count money.

**Application Deadline: 11/19/2026, or until position is filled.**

• Compassion: We believe that animals matter. We are committed to treating animals and people with kindness, respect and compassion.
• Stewardship: We are accountable and transparent in our actions and in the use of our resources to build trust in those we serve.
• Integrity: We believe we can make the greatest impact by staying true to our mission, always doing what is best for the animals and people of our community, and by standing united in our decisions.
• Excellence: We are passionate about our mission, and strive for excellence through continual learning, innovation and the development of our board, staff and volunteers.
• Collaboration: We seek strategic partnerships and alliances to advance the welfare and protection of animals and people.
• Service: We exist to serve our communities and operate with this commitment to serve as front and center in all we do.

As a condition of employment with HSPPR, you will be required to authorize HSPPR and ProScreening to conduct a background check before confirming an employment start date. The background check will include a criminal investigation, verification of citizenship/immigration status, and a motor vehicle record. By applying for this position, you acknowledge and agree that any offers of employment will be contingent upon completion of the background check to the satisfaction of HSPPR.

In consideration of any offers of employment made as a result of your interest in this position, by applying for this position, you hereby waive any and all claims that you may have against HSPPR for invasion of privacy in respect to drug testing and background checks as listed above.