OHS Adoptions Customer Service Representative

Adoptions CSR

Our OHS staff answers frequently asked questions:

What is a typical day like in your job?

I help answer questions and greet people who come into the shelter looking to adopt animals.

I process adoptions, microchip animals that are being adopted, educate people on how to properly care for their newly adopted animals. I help match people and animals (even what type of animal would be best suited for their family). I make sure all animals in adoptions have food and water at night (and throughout the day), make sure the animals have blankets, toys and the cats have hide and perch boxes. I monitor the animals for signs of illness and tell the technicians if I find anything wrong. I also stock the store with supplies.

I sweep and mop the entire adoption department, take messages and return phone calls, respond to e-mails, and make matches to the adoption requests people have filled out.

Why did you get involved in this type of work?

I have always wanted to help save animals, even as a little girl. I would always be bringing home lost animals that I found, trying to help them find their owners. Or if I found an injured bird or frog or other small animal, I would find a rescue centre with the help of my parents to get them better to get them back to the wild where they belonged.

What skills and training do you need for this job?

I worked at a vet clinic during high school for co-op placement during the day, and then they hired me on at night to work there. I also worked at pet stores, and I read as many books on animals as I could get my hands on.

What's the hardest part of your job?

Trying to educate people on better and newer methods for animal care. Or trying to explain some of the policies that exist at the OHS (for example, why we don’t let people view our dogs, because it causes the animals stress and can spread disease).

What's the most rewarding part of your job?

Matching people up with the right pet, the smiles on their faces, and the pictures we get of happy animals in their new homes.

Do you have any advice for kids who would like to do this type of job when they get older?

Get as much experience in customer service jobs as you can (this is what the adoptions department is all about - serving customers) and read all you can about different kinds of animals.

Do you have any pets?

I have three cats. Violet is a short-haired, five-year-old, black female. Tabitha is a Maine Coon mix, four-year-old female. Anubis is a hairless Sphinx cat, six-year-old male. I also have two birds and one bearded dragon lizard.

There are lots of ways you can work with animals. Read more in our animal careers section!

Ottawa Humane Society Staff Profiles

There are many interesting jobs at the Ottawa Humane Society! Meet a few of our staff members to find out what they do!

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