We are currently looking for a Community Animal Behaviourist to join the team in Glasgow and surrounding area, with regular travel throughout Scotland as required.
If this sounds like a role you would be interested in, please read on for more information.
Hours – 35 hours per week
Salary – £37,928 per annum (FTE)
Contract Type – Permanent
About the Scottish SPCA
As Scotland’s animal welfare charity, we have been on-hand to protect animals and prevent cruelty since 1839 – that’s over 184 years of creating a better world for all animals. We’ve grown to become a national charity which celebrates the strength of the human-animal bond and enriches the lives of animals and people. We are Scotland’s animal champions.
What does a Community Animal Behaviourist do?
The Community Animal Behaviourist will play a vital role in supporting pet owners within communities by providing accessible, bespoke, and appropriate behaviour modification advice. Working closely on a referral basis with our existing Pet Aid Veterinary and Inspectorate teams, this role aims to offer practical solutions that address behavioural challenges faced by pets and their owners, reducing the risk of animal relinquishment. Offering tailored support and intervention strategies, the Community Animal Behaviourist will help prevent unnecessary relinquishment, keeping pets with their families where possible and promoting positive outcomes. This collaborative approach will ensure that animals under the care of Inspectorate colleagues receive the necessary behavioural intervention and support in their own homes and stop preventable issues that would otherwise result in animals coming into our care. By working closely with the inspectorate team, the Community Animal Behaviourist will help to address specific behavioural issues and improve the overall welfare of animals.
Overview of main duties and responsibilities
1. Provide a Behaviour Service to owners in the local area via Community Hubs, remote consultations (telephone, video call) and in-person support.
2. Collaborate with Community Veterinary Team and Inspectorate Colleagues to ensure each animal and owner has the most efficient journey through the Society’s care as possible.
3. Ensure excellent standards of Behaviour support is provided by both establishing, promoting and following protocols within the scope of service.
4. Maintain excellent written records in a timely manner to both ensure high quality case management, and contribute to reporting of the impact of the service.
5. Provide expert advice to owners of animals experiencing behaviour issues either in person or remotely. Identify behavioural issues and create behaviour modification programmes for owners to follow, and be able to adapt format of advice to suit owner’s preferences.
6. Set up and run group sessions in communities, to include both verbal information and training classes.
7. Identify and support with training needs of colleagues within Inspectorate teams and across the Society.
8. Lead on the development of training for colleagues to best support animals in the community.
9. Adopt a coaching approach to supporting team members, to continually upskill and share knowledge.
10. Work closely with the Head of Animal Behaviour to develop and embed robust processes to increase the sustainability of the Behaviour Service and advocate for these throughout the Society.
11. Contribute to the development and delivery of training sessions both for internal and external audiences.
12. Support the Society’s Behaviour Services to identify opportunities for income generation in relation to animal behaviour.
Please see full Job Description link for more detailed information on the role.
What makes a good Community Animal Behaviourist?
1. Significant experience of successfully modifying animal behaviour across multiple species.
2. Experience of working with dogs and cats who may pose a risk to humans.
3. Demonstrable experience in coaching owners in successfully managing and modifying their pet’s behaviour.
4. Relevant accreditation within the Animal Behaviour and Training Sector via the Animal Behaviour and Training Council.
5. Experience of difficult discussions with owners such as those around relinquishment and euthanasia.
6. Understanding of legislation impacting owners in relation to animal behaviour.
7. Experience and awareness of behavioural euthanasia.
8. Experience of working with veterinary surgeons using psychoactive medications to support animal behaviour in both the short and longer term.
9. Experience of working with and handling animals in a clinical setting.
10. Experience in a customer focused environment.
11. Experience of workshop delivery to public audiences.
12. An understanding and commitment to health and safety in the workplace.
13. Proven experience of training others in evidence-based and up-to-date training techniques to modify animal behaviour.
We are fortunate that some of our roles attract a high level of interest therefore, we may have to close roles earlier than advertised. Early application submissions are highly recommended. This also means that we cannot provide individual feedback to unsuccessful candidates due to receiving high levels of applications.
The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We recognise that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to achieving our core mission.
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