Animal Foster Care Coordinator

JOB LOCATION

15750 E 32nd Ave Aurora, Colorado 80011-1518

City of Aurora, Colorado

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora, we're growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles, or core values, that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization, guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora, we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of: Integrity, Respect, Professionalism, and Customer Service, and we welcome all who share these values to apply.
 
Why Work for Aurora?

• Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
• Diverse community
• Competitive total compensation package
• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
• Light rail station minutes away
• On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
• Access to innovation workspaces

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Salary to be commensurate with experience

The hiring range for this position is $26.55 - $33.18 per hour

The deadline to submit applications is August 16th, 2026. Please note, The City of Aurora will conduct ongoing screenings of applications on a first come, first-serve basis; as soon as we determine to have a qualified pool of applicants, this position may close quickly and without notice.

Overview of Position / Department:

Aurora Animal Services provides animal-related services for the city of Aurora. You can call them to pick up an injured or stray animal. Owners should search kennels in the shelter frequently for lost pets. The shelter also has many animals available for adoption. 
 
The City of Aurora is seeking a skilled Foster Care Coordinator to manage the shelter’s foster care program, including foster volunteers and their humane care and treatment for sheltered animals. 

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop, manage, and implement a foster care program that fits retention needs based on shelter population. 
• Process new foster applications in a timely manner, including communication with prospective foster volunteers, home inspections, orientations and required training for onboarding. 
• Recruit, train, and supervise foster volunteers to provide care in their homes for shelter animals. 
• Conduct new and annual foster home inspections per PACFA guidelines. 
• Provide support for foster parents experiencing emergencies, including support and coordination with appropriate staff for resolution in conjunction with the Foster Assistant 
• Review shelter population regularly with the medical and behavior team to identify animals in need of foster placement and facilitate communication for placement and any necessary education for foster support of the animal’s care. 
• Create and consistently update training material for fosters with the appropriate staff members to continually educate and develop foster families’ skill set to care for different species and foster care needs. 
• Create, update, and enforce foster related shelter SOPs and division policies in conjunction with management. 
• Monitor and maintain animal food and shelter supplies for the foster program, including identifying need, ordering, organizing, storing, and maintaining inventory records for items currently being used. 
• Coordinate scheduling veterinary treatments and necessary appointments with appropriate staff (i.e. medical, shelter staff, behavior) and regularly check in with foster volunteers for general updates. 
• Provide general medical exams and vaccinations for intakes and ongoing appointments for animals while in foster care. Defer to the medical team for treatments requiring veterinary oversight or direction.  
• Consult with medical staff regarding medical care of foster animals and appropriately relay this information to foster volunteers. This includes while in shelter, at appointments, and general communications with fosters (i.e. phone calls and emails relating to an issue with the animal(s)). 
• Maintain and update shelter records for animals. 
• Observes animals for signs of disease or injury and assists in rechecking animals. 
• Takes regular inventory of animals in foster homes and corrects discrepancies. 
• Facilitate open communication and teamwork with the Foster Assistant to ensure cohesive support for the foster care program, foster volunteers, shelter staff, and shelter animals – including delegation of appropriate tasks to maintain timely completion. Provide support to the Foster Assistant to best maintain the foster care program and equivalent support to foster volunteers. 
• Serve as the primary point of contact for foster volunteers and members of their household, ensuring all communication is timely and respectful, including resolution of issues and general information. 
• Promote a positive and healthy culture for foster volunteers, including recognition, events, training, and communication with foster volunteers. 
• Coordinate foster involvement in community outreach and/or special events with the Community Engagement Coordinator or other city departments. 
• Participate and represent AAS in animal welfare related meetings and events to encourage collaboration with other animal welfare partners for our foster care program and the shelter. 
• Foster teamwork and aid division staff and volunteers, including promotion of open communication about the foster program with all staff, management, and volunteers. 
• Assists with front office duties; greets, interacts with, and provides information to citizens on the Aurora Animal Services Division's policies. 
• Maintains proper functioning and safety of shelter equipment; transports animals; drives, cleans, and maintains vehicles assigned to shelter. 
• Performs euthanasia and related tasks. 
• Performs additional duties as assigned. 

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered. 

Education:   

• Bachelor’s Degree in animal services, animal husbandry, or directly related field 

Experience:

• 3 years of proven successful volunteer or foster program management experience, ideally including budget management, record keeping, and program development 
• 2 years of animal care, animal shelter or kennel environment experience 
• Familiarity with pet animal behavior and pet animal medicine 
• 2 years of experience providing high level customer service 

Licenses and Certifications Required:   

• Driver's License with a good driving record.  

Preferred Certifications:  

• Euthanasia 
• Fear Free Shelter 

Knowledge: 

• General knowledge of companion animal welfare, breeds, and species 
• Animal care knowledge/experience with animal care, including animal handling, feeding, cleaning, disease prevention and treatment, common illnesses, conditions, and animal behavior 
• Animal welfare best practices along with state and local ordinances and regulations 

Skills:   

• Skill in handling animals safely and with care 
• Skill in providing friendly service to all shelter patrons 
• excellent interpersonal communication skills – written and oral 
• high attention to detail. 

Abilities:   

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and citizens. 
• Handle difficult or stressful situations with tact and diplomacy. 
• Complete work without close supervision 
• Provide humane care and treatment for a variety of animals. 
• Perform euthanasia. 
• Operate a City vehicle. 

WORKING CONDITIONS  

Essential Personnel:  

• When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the City, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel 

Physical Demands: 

• Medium to heavy physical work requiring ability to lift 75 pounds with or without assistance 
• Frequent lifting and carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds 
• Regular walking and standing  
• Full range of body movements including bending, kneeling, stooping, pushing, pulling, climbing, and crawling 
• Foot/eye coordination to operate motor vehicle 

Work Environment: 

• Subject to animal bites or scratches 
• Works primarily in an animal shelter with exposure to dust, noise, water, animal dangers, odors, and fumes 
• Some work performed outdoors or offsite 
• Work performed in high noise level areas 
• Exposure to cleaning chemicals, fumes, dust, animal dander, and feces. 

Equipment Used: 

• Operates a motor vehicle 
• Uses a variety of hand tools and equipment common to kennel operations 
• This position may require the incumbent to occasionally use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment. 

The city of Aurora will implement furlough days (unpaid days off) for most employees in 2026. The scheduled furlough dates are January 16, April 10, July 2, and December 24.

For Veterans preference:  Please show all of your employment history, including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.
           
The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer.  We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants.  It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, disability or military status, gender identity, unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.
                                         
Despite the changes in Colorado law, the City of Aurora maintains a drug-free workplace.  A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.
 

Drug Testing, Thorough Criminal Background Check, and Employment References:
As a condition of employment, all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check. 

Applicants selected for safety-sensitive positions are required to complete and pass a drug screening as a condition of employment. Safety sensitive positions include Civil Service positions within Police and Fire Departments and positions where their job responsibilities have direct and substantial responsibility that would impact the health and safety of others.  

Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.