Wildlife Rehabilitator

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

Type of Position: Full-time salaried position. Salary dependant on experience.     

Accountable to: Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager

Closing Date: June 30, 2011

Purpose of Position:

To coordinate daily animal care at the PAWS Wildlife Center. Headquartered in Lynnwood, WA, PAWS is a nationally recognized leader in rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, sheltering and adopting homeless cats and dogs, and educating people to make a better world for animals and people.

Duties and Responsibilities:

In accordance with organizational policies, duties include but are not limited to:

 

·         Performing examinations and basic rehabilitation assessments on incoming patients. Administering medical treatments according to the PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Manual and policies and maintaining animal care records and date entry of these records

 

·         Fulfilling daily care plans of wildlife patients including but not limited to nutritional, caging and medical needs.

 

·         Ensuring that cages and facilities are cleaned and maintained daily, feeding schedules are adhered to and other animal care needs are met.

 

·         Supervising, training and mentoring volunteers, interns and seasonal staff.  Delegating and ensuring satisfactory completion of tasks.  Ensuring that animals are being handled in a manner that maximizes human and animal safety.  Ensuring that protocols to minimize risk of contraction of zoonotic disease are being adhered to.

 

·         Assisting the Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager, Veterinary Technician and Veterinarian with patient rounds and assisting with treatments and surgery as needed. Monitoring animals under anesthesia.  Making triage decisions and performing euthanasia. Performing basic laboratory procedures.  Taking and developing radiographs as needed.

 

·         Admitting animals from the public and providing assistance both in person and over the phone regarding animal rescues, transport, emergency care and human-wildlife conflicts.

 

·         Driving own vehicle or PAWS vehicle as needed to rescue and transport wildlife. Assisting the PAWS Naturalist in the coordination and release of animals as needed.

 

·         Assisting the Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager in revising species protocols and rehabilitation research as needed.

Controls over Work:

 

Wildlife Rehabilitators work under the direction of the Rehabilitation Manager and are expected to work without direct supervision. 

 

Written performance evaluations will be given after the first three months and first twelve months of work and annually thereafter.

Physical Demands:

Must be able to lift a minimum forty (40) pounds. Work is performed both in and out of the wildlife center which requires lifting, bending, stooping, pushing and other moderately strenuous activities.

Requirements:

 

·         Must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university.  Preference will be given to candidates with degrees in biology or wildlife sciences. The equivalent of four years full-time work in wildlife rehabilitation may be considered in place of a college degree.

 

·         Must have a minimum of three months experience working full time in a wildlife rehabilitation center or at least one year experience working as a veterinary technician, zoo keeper, field biologist or other related field. Must have supervisory experience.

 

·         Previous experience working with native wildlife in a rehabilitation setting is preferred. Knowledge of natural history and behavior of native wildlife species is essential. Pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis will be mandatory.

 

·         Must be skilled in wildlife medicine on a vet tech level or be able to learn skills on the job such as taking radiographs, performing  lab work and physical exams, drawing blood, giving intravenous and subcutaneous fluids, providing necessary care treatments, dosing and administering drugs, stabilizing fractures through bandaging, performing anesthesia and assisting  in surgery. .  

 

·         Must be able to make euthanasia decisions, perform euthanasia and handle Control 2 drugs.

 

·         Must be able to act decisively regarding dynamic animal cases and situations for which there may be no existing protocols. Must be able to work quickly, efficiently and calmly under stressful conditions. Must be able to handle multiple responsibilities. Must possess good verbal and written communication skills.

 

·         Must be able to work cooperatively with co-workers and the public.

 

·         Familiarity with computer systems necessary.

 

·         Must have or be able to obtain a valid Washington state driver’s license with no record of major or repeated minor traffic offenses.

  

How to apply:

Submit a resume, letter of interest and PAWS employment application to :

PAWS

Attn: Dondi Byrne, Rehabilitation Manager

PO Box 1037,

Lynnwood, WA 98046

or

 via e-mail to dbyrne@paws.org,

or

 via fax to (425) 742-5711.