Animal Welfare Officer

Company Description

The mission of Animal Aid Unlimited is to rescue and treat un-owned street animals in Udaipur, Rajasthan, who have become ill or injured, and through their rescue inspire the community to protect all animals. We are an animal rescue organisation with animal rights in the core principles that guide our mission. We operate one of India’s most active rescue services, responding to more than 100 calls on our helpline every day. We have a staff of over 140+ employees and our hospital and sanctuary house a total of more than 900 animals (dogs, cows, donkeys, cats and other animals). Additionally, we also run a sterilisation (ABC) program for street dogs. We are located 10km outside the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan, near Badi village.

Role Description

The Animal Welfare Officer’s role is integral in making sure that Animal Aid’s mission to save lives and create a beautiful sanctuary for animals is achieved on a daily basis. The AWO oversees the welfare of the animals in various sections of Animal Aid’s hospital and shelter, which includes conducting daily health checks, supervising caregiver staff in their routine tasks such as feeding, socializing, bathing and animal handling. The purpose of this role is to ensure that animals in our care are getting their needs met, for their physical as well as mental health. This includes making sure they are receiving the correct nutrition for their age and species, that they have access to their food and water, access to protection from the elements (sun, rain, cold, etc), that injuries and illness are noticed and treated by our medical team, that animals are housed together appropriately (not getting picked on by other animals), and more. With hundreds of animals in our care, our Animal Welfare Officers work spread out across the shelter and hospital to make sure that no animal’s issues or needs are missed. 

On the job training

This role requires several months of on-the-job training, even for candidates who have experience with animals. You will begin by getting to know the individual animals in our shelter, their personalities, food requirements, and more. During this time you will learn the day-to-day tasks and will be trained in identifying problems, such as an animal who has gotten injured, what must be done, whom to contact, etc, in various scenarios. You will learn about the dynamics between individual animals, for instance: who gets along with whom, who needs to be kept separated at night to avoid fights, and who needs to be monitored during meal time to make sure their food isn’t stolen from them.

This will prepare you to eventually get to a level of understanding where you can supervise all the day-to-day tasks in a particular area, from breakfast to dinner, to cleaning, daily health checks, to directing volunteers in your area and supervising the caregiving staff. You will receive guidance and support at all times to ensure you are equipped with all the knowledge needed to take on this role.

Growth in the organisation

The responsibilities of the AWO range in their complexity and expertise required. AWOs will spend their first 0-2 years in Animal Aid learning how to manage the sanctuary day-to-day tasks, gaining the ability to effectively supervise staff and conduct staff training, guide volunteers, and gaining a command of Animal Aid’s protocols, guiding principles and their implementation.

The senior position of Animal Welfare Coordinator is responsible for tasks like creating and revising protocols (for things ranging from nutrition to animal handling), supervising medical treatment and caregivers in the hospital sections, working with the emergency desk and rescue staff in coordinating and approving releases, introducing new animals into the sanctuary or other sections of the hospital, monitoring the progress of animals who have complex issues such as lengthier stays, aggression towards staff or animals, etc.

There is also scope for exploring other roles down the line, if mutually agreed, such as Volunteer Coordinator, Cruelty Prevention Coordinator, Emergency Desk Manager, etc. The Animal Welfare Officer role is a natural link to many other positions in Coordinator and Manager level that a successful candidate can pursue during their career at Animal Aid. At Animal Aid, we want your creativity and ingenuity to shine and we invite you to guide the course of our future with your ideas and leadership.

Seniority and expertise will be rewarded with generous salary hikes and benefits.

Key areas of responsibility

1. Animal welfare:

a. Ensure the welfare of animals in accordance with the internationally recognized Five Freedoms, implemented through Animal Aid’s various protocols:

i. The nutritional needs of the animals are met according to species and age;

ii. The physical and psychological needs of the animals are met, specific for species and age;

iii. Animals receive appropriate and timely treatment in coordination with the medical team (including physio and hydrotherapy);

iv. Animals have appropriate shelter at all times and in all weather conditions.

b. Timely report to the AWM or to the medical team if any animal shows signs of illness or distress.

2. Staff coordination: coordinate the staff members in the areas performing the above tasks and ensure they follow the schedule and their assigned area’s schedule.

3. Staff training: Train the staff members performing the above mentioned tasks. As the majority of the new care giving staff at Animal Aid do not have previous experience working in an animal shelter, the AWO’s role is of the utmost importance for the successful training. Staff training includes teaching how to understand animal behavior, animal handling such as lifting paralysed dogs or holding an animal during treatment, and more.

4. Outreach & Education:

a. Visitors: welcome visitors and give tours of the rescue centre (in coordination with the Volunteer coordinator)

b. Volunteers: onboard, training and supervision of volunteers assigned in the area in (in coordination with the Volunteer Coordinator)

c. Events: participate in outreach events, at the centre or external (schools, community meetings etc), to promote the respect of animal welfare and work of Animal Aid, encouraging the community to take an active role; to educate the community about animal behaviour, dog-bite prevention and coexistence.

d. Adoption: identify the animals who can be adopted, screen potential adopters, implement adoptions protocols.

Experience, education and skills

1. Graduate of any field.

2. Fluency in English. Fluency in Hindi is a big plus.

3. 2-3 years work experience in any field.

4. Good IT skills (Microsoft office, Google Tools)

5. Extensive experience with animals (does not need to be in professional capacity) such as volunteering, caring for community animals, fostering, rescuing, having pets, etc. Experience with dogs is a must and other species such as cats, cows, donkeys are a bonus.

Personal attributes

1. Understanding and passion for Animal Aid’s mission

2. Attentive and highly reliable

3. Good communicator and coordinator

4. Able to work independently as well as with a team

5. Compassionate and comfortable with animals

Compensation and Benefits for Indian Nationals

Interview travel costs: Animal Aid covers the travel and accommodation costs for candidates selected for in-person interviews at Animal Aid.

Salary: The starting range for this position is 20K-40K in hand depending on previous experience, with an increase after 6 months and subsequently yearly increases based on merit.

Relocation package: Animal Aid covers your travel costs as well as your temporary housing in Udaipur before moving into your new home. After 3 months of joining we cover the shipping of your vehicle as well as other shipping needs up to Rs10,000.

Other benefits: You will receive Health Insurance (HDFC ERGO), and be eligible for earning Gratuity.

Paid Leaves: In the first year you will receive 15 Casual Leaves (20 days CL to candidates hailing from outside Udaipur) and after 1 year you receive an additional 15 Earned Leaves. 8 festivals are paid.