Animal Care Officer
Content + Source + Freshness • 17 Dec 2025 • 95% confidence
Offer value
High value due to a strong emphasis on community involvement and contributions to animal welfare, coupled with significant responsibility for varied tasks.
- Community engagement role impacting animal welfare
- Varied responsibilities with strong community focus
- Demands good problem-solving and crisis management skills
- Includes on-call emergency duties
Pros
- Opportunity to engage with the community on animal welfare
- Variety of tasks leading to a dynamic work environment
- Possibility to positively impact animal lives
Cons
- Potentially demanding hours with on-call responsibilities
- Involves high-stress situations related to animal issues
- Physical demands of handling animals may be challenging
Who it's for
Mid-Level • On-site with emergency on-call duty
Good fit
- Animal welfare advocates with experience
- Strong communicators and problem solvers
- Dedicated individuals willing to work under pressure
Not recommended for
- Inexperienced candidates or those uncomfortable with animal handling
- Those seeking regular hours and predictable routines
- People reluctant to face emergency situations
Motivation fit
Key skills
About the job
Description
Position Objective:
Offer and provide animal and family services to existing and potential clients in Hampton Roads, Virginia and North Carolina
Primary Responsibilities and Duties:
• Perform daily Community outreach advertising, offering and providing PETA's animal and family services in Virginia and North Carolina, including spay/neuter surgeries and related transport, rabies vaccinations and other veterinary and wellness services
• Contact potential and existing clients of PETA’s Community Animal Project (CAP) to offer animal and family services in Virginia and North Carolina
• Handle incoming calls from existing and potential clients requesting services, prepare and update case sheets for providing those services, and maintain records of services provided, including photographing conditions when appropriate
• Provide companion animal care and family services, including pick up and assistance to injured or unwanted animals
• File complaints with animal control agencies in situations requiring legal intervention, and follow up to ensure that action is taken
• Conduct investigations involving neglected or abused animals
• Perform emergency first-aid procedures and euthanasia
• Care for animals in PETA's custody
• Participate in the rotation for CAP's 24-hour pager providing emergency services to clients and the general public across CAP’s service region
• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor
Requirements
• Demonstrated ability to describe and provide clients with animal and family services offered by PETA’s Community Animal Project
• Demonstrated experience with sales, customer service, public outreach or similar experience
• Demonstrated effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Minimum of two years of animal-handling experience
• Proven effective problem-solving and crisis-management skills
• Demonstrated ability to use independent judgment and discretion
• Proven ability to deal with a variety of people in a professional manner
• Proven ability to coordinate several tasks at once and handle frequent interruptions
• Demonstrated ability to manage time wisely and prioritize tasks
• Willingness to obtain euthanasia certification (on-the-job training will be provided)
• Willingness and ability to be on 24-hour emergency call
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. without assistance on a regular basis
• Ability to engage in frequent bending, stooping, crawling, lifting, reaching, and stair-climbing
• Must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid U.S. driver's license, a minimum of three years of driving experience, and a satisfactory driving record
• Commitment to the objectives of the organization
Application Deadline:
Applications for this position will be accepted until December 3, 2025.
We may fill this job opening before the deadline if we find a qualified candidate.
