Feline Behavior Specialist

Feline Behavior Specialist

Join the ASPCA's Animal Recovery Center as a Feline Behavior Specialist to provide behavioral evaluations, enrichment, and behavior modification to feline victims of cruelty or neglect and at-risk cats to help support our groundbreaking, lifesaving work in a dynamic career. Make a direct and meaningful impact on the vulnerable animals who need us most. Make a real impact on animals and help advance our work with opportunities for professional growth. Help advance our lifesaving work and create meaningful change for animals.

The ARC (Animal Recovery Center) is dedicated to the recovery and rehabilitation of victims of cruelty and neglect admitted through NYPD and the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) and Community Engagement (CE) programs. Our dedicated team of sheltering, medical, and animal behavior professionals, within the Shelter Rehabilitation Operations division (SRO) collaborates closely with the ASPCA Animal Hospital, Forensics, Criminal Practice & Investigations, Behavioral Sciences, Shelter Medicine Services, Community Engagement, Centralized Placement, Relocation Services to ensure coordinated response and operations, and integrated, balanced, high quality care for the animals we serve in alignment with the organization's priorities. The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is the first animal welfare organization established in North America and serves as the nation's leading voice for animals. The organization's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in three key areas: protecting and rescuing animals from crisis, assisting animals in communities and advancing legal protection for animals.

The Feline Behavior Specialist reports directly to the Manager, Feline Behavior and has no direct reports.

As part of the Animal Behavior Center of Excellence, The Feline Behavior Specialist (the Specialist) works with the Manager, Feline Behavior to provide safe, high-quality behavioral support from intake to outcome or discharge, in accordance with organizational protocols. The Specialist will assist with assessments, behavior modification, enrichment and placement recommendations for cats seized by the New York City Police Department or surrendered through the ASPCA's Community Engagement (CE) Program. The cats from these cases are often severely under-socialized and aggressive; prior experience and advanced-skills handling and working with fearful and aggressive animals is required. The Specialist will help develop and implement enrichment/behavior modification protocols for individual animals and coordinate with caretakers to facilitate the delivery of these interventions. The animals may be housed in the ASPCA Animal Recovery Center (ARC), partner veterinary clinics or in foster.

The Specialist supports, communicates, and collaborates with staff in ARC, the Adoption Center, the Animal Hospital (AAH) and Forensics, in order to optimize the health and welfare of animals and, whenever possible, to set them up for success in a new home. The Specialist may also provide on-scene support for large scale animal cases locally or nationally.

This position is an on-site role and reports to the 92nd street ASPCA location. Schedule is full time, Tuesday-Saturday 10a-6pm. Schedules are subject to change as needed by the ASPCA. Ability and willingness to travel up at least once a year as needed. Must have flexibility in schedule to accommodate program needs

The target hiring range for this role is $34.70 - $37.10 per hour

Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage.
• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10 company paid holidays that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.
• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar-for-dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.
• Robust professional development opportunities, including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field and so much more.
• Employee Assistance Program: Confidential support for physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing, including online programs, six free counseling sessions and discounted legal/financial consulting.
• Health Care Navigation and Caregiver Support Benefits: Free, confidential and personalized concierge-style support to help you care for anyone you consider family. Expert assistance is also available to help you and your family navigate the healthcare system, from claims resolution to finding doctors.

Provide safe behavior response, assessment, and support:

• Provide behavior support and expertise for all NYPD and CE cat intakes
• Ensure timely evaluation of animals and appropriate documentation of evaluations for each animal, including recommendations for outcome, assessment with respect to and placement and treatment using the ASPCA's Adoptability Guidelines and Treatment Eligibility Charts
• Implement behavior modification and treatment plans for all animals
• Clearly document and communicate the results of each animal's assessment, including behavioral prognosis, safe handling guidelines, plan for behavior modification and enrichment, and the animal's suitability for foster and placement
• Create, execute, and assign enrichment, training and behavior modification for animals on-site, at boarding partners, and in foster homes for behavior treatment; monitor and track their implementation and effectiveness.
• Advise on appropriate housing and other forms of environmental enrichment for ARC cats.
• Identify and respond to behavior concerns from a variety of sources (seen directly, or from other team members) and address them with appropriate behavior modification, enrichment, or environmental changes. Collaborate with the medical and daily care teams; where appropriate, collaborate with the medical team for potential psychopharmacological support
• Ensure timely and consistent delivery of specialized low stress handling as required for intake, medical handling and/or procedures.
• Respond to and manage emergent behavior needs as they arise; communicate revised handling/daily care plans and safety measures to ensure staff safety in a timely manner including updating signage
• Liaise with NYPD officers upon intake of animals to gather behavioral histories and information on the animals' environment/living conditions so that this information may be considered in developing safe animal handling guidelines and in determining each animal's behavioral prognosis
• Communicate results of behavior assessments to colleagues, other shelters and rescue groups who may be considering taking these animals; provide write-up's and/or video
• With the Senior Director of Behavior and Feline Manager, provide behavioral information to inform appropriate outcome decisions (foster, placement, euthanasia, etc.)
• Support foster parents on a regular basis to ensure all animals and foster parents are set up for success. May include weekly zoom calls to provide live coaching for assigned behavior modification. Document call and progress in an organized manner for sharing with the feline time and referencing in outcome decisions.
• Use active listening and respectful dialogue to answer questions and help staff understand behavioral signs that indicate potential fear, aggression and/or poor quality of life
• Assist in transition, acclimation, and continuity of care during various stages of rehabilitation process including transitions from the field, AAH, ARC to the Adoption Center
• Assign behavior treatments for the volunteer cat behavior program where appropriate
• Provide support to the ARC administrative volunteer and assign weekly tasks
• Utilize multiple databases to ensure animal records are complete and up to date, including but not limited to treatment notes, behavior observation reports, foster notes, behavioral medication, history of location changes, and evaluations
• Respond to panic button/ safety calls involving felines
• Collaborate with members of various departments including, but not limited to, CE, Adoption Center, and AAH as needed.

Train and coach:

• Ensure the team has a deep understanding of the importance of behavioral welfare in integrated care and be a leader in the collaborative concept that 'we are all on the behavior team'; empower staff and volunteers to innovate in ways that improve behavioral care
• Coach staff and qualified volunteers, when appropriate, in assisting with behavior modification and enrichment programs
• Contribute to the creation of written and video training materials in animal behavior, Low Stress™ handling, recognizing and responding to the signs of stress in animals, and other relevant topics as requested
• Participate in staff training and ongoing coaching about animal behavior (safe and low stress handling, enrichment, socialization, body language, etc.) through informal meetings and other trainings as assigned
• Direct staff and volunteers in behavior tasks, supporting integrated care and prioritizing behavioral welfare
• Attend department rounds to communicate behavioral changes or euthanasia decisions

Safe and humane animal handling skills required. Outstanding defensive handling skills required. Ability to handle animals for examinations and medical procedures using the least