Specialist, Direct Care & Enrichment

Location: Onsite at 1845 Pontius Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Hiring range: $21–$23 per hour, depending on experience, plus benefits. Manager interviews begin the week of March 30th, 2026.

About the role

Direct Care & Enrichment Specialists are responsible for the daily animal care and enrichment needs for animals in our program locations. Specialists act with urgency to accomplish important tasks and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission and organizational success. Specialists oversee daily functions and growth of lifesaving programs including adoption, foster care, transfer/transport, and provide basic animal care for animals in our program locations.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate kindness and the Golden Rule in everyday actions by practicing inclusion and respect for every person and animal.
• Be a role model for authenticity, kindness, and positive influence with visitors, volunteers, and animals.
• Promote, coordinate, and facilitate animal placements (including foster animals) by matching adopters with pets, providing superior customer service, counseling on pet history and needs, and offering medical and behavioral support.
• Support pet adoption opportunities through events, offsite meets, and pet retention initiatives to expand lifesaving capacity.
• Develop knowledge of animals in Best Friends’ care; assist adopters, fosters, and transfer partners by gathering information, arranging introductions, providing medical records, and conducting follow-ups.
• Create a welcoming environment to enhance visitor satisfaction and support the organization’s mission through superior customer service.
• Provide basic animal care: feeding, cleaning, walking, and medicating animals housed or transported in Best Friends’ facilities.
• Deliver daily enrichment to improve animals’ emotional wellbeing, ensuring low-stress housing, cleaning, and handling.
• Oversee and execute dog playgroups, maintaining safe handling practices and a comprehensive understanding of dog behavior.
• Maintain clean workspaces and animal housing areas for optimum safety; stock supplies and support inventory management.
• Support volunteers on all aspects of lifesaving care, including program protocols, animal handling, transportation, data entry, and communications.
• Develop detailed knowledge of Best Friends’ programs to best match animals with adopters, fosters, and transfer partners.
• Assist in creating engaging social media content (written, video, photo) and collaborate with marketing teams to support lifesaving outcomes.
• Represent Best Friends in media relations while maintaining the organization’s voice across all communications.
• Collaborate with team members to achieve lifesaving goals, following policies, procedures, and task lists for daily assignments.
• Maintain a safe workplace, model safe practices, and communicate unsafe conditions to leadership.

Requirements

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks.
• Strong interpersonal skills; team player, personable, professional, and able to handle sensitive situations.
• Customer service and public-facing experience required.
• Prior experience handling cats and dogs in a personal, volunteer, or professional capacity required; shelter experience preferred.
• Ability to comfortably handle, leash, kennel, walk, and care for cats and dogs, including those with health or behavior concerns.
• Basic ability to identify and discuss medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats.
• Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Resourceful, proactive attitude; problem-solving skills and flexibility to persist until goals are achieved.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; familiarity with shelter software or willingness to learn.

Physical Requirements

• Routinely lift 50 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity (lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, bending).
• Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods (typing, sitting, walking, standing, climbing stairs).
• Work indoors and outdoors in various weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.
• Exposure to dogs and cats of all sizes, temperaments, and medical statuses, including allergens.
• Travel up to 10%, including overnight stays and in/out-of-state trips.
• Schedule varies; includes weekends, nights, and holidays.

Pay

$21–$23 per hour, plus benefits.