Operations Technician Jobs in Kentucky

Part-Time Kennel Technician – Cat Shelter & Animal Care

Humane Society for Logan County | Russellville, Kentucky

PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING

The Humane Society for Logan County is hiring a Part-Time Kennel Technician to join our team.

This position requires:

• Morning availability, with regular shifts generally running approximately 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Availability to work both weekdays AND weekends. Shifts may fall on any day of the week, including some major holidays.
• A minimum age of 18.
• Your own reliable transportation.
• A resume submitted with your application.

Please do not apply if you are not already 18 years old, if you are unable to consistently work morning shifts or if you are only available on weekdays or only on weekends. Our animals require care every day, and reliable attendance is an essential part of this job.

Resumes must be submitted no later than 9am, Monday September 28, 2026.

About the Position
The Humane Society for Logan County is looking for a dependable, compassionate, hardworking person to provide daily care for the cats in our shelter while also helping with adoptions, customer service, community outreach, and general shelter operations.

This is not simply a cleaning job, a customer service job, or an animal care job. It is all of those things in one.

You may spend part of your morning feeding cats and cleaning kennels, then answer the phone, help an adopter, speak with a client, respond to a message, assist a volunteer, or prepare for an event. You may encounter a frightened cat that needs patience and socialization, a medical concern that needs to be reported, or a member of the public who needs help navigating a difficult situation.

The work is hands-on, physical, sometimes messy, sometimes emotionally difficult, and occasionally chaotic. It is also meaningful and rewarding.

We are looking for someone who understands that caring for shelter animals is a responsibility—not simply an opportunity to spend time with cats.

About the Humane Society and Our Mission
Each year, the Humane Society for Logan County provides care and resources for hundreds of abandoned, surrendered, stray, and community cats. But our mission extends beyond caring for the animals who are already homeless.

We are working toward a long-term solution to the problem of stray and unwanted pets in our community.

Our goal is to have 80% of the cats and dogs in Logan County spayed/neutered and microchipped by 2035.

Our adoption programs, community cat and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts, public education, pet food pantry, our forthcoming low-cost spay/neuter clinic, free microchipping programs, and responsible pet ownership messaging are all designed to move Logan County closer to that goal.

Every member of our team contributes to that mission. The work you do in the shelter today is part of a much larger effort to reduce animal homelessness and improve the lives of pets and the people who care for them throughout our county.

What You'll Do

Daily Animal Care
You will provide daily, hands-on care for cats and kittens of all ages, backgrounds, and temperaments. Responsibilities include:

• Feeding and watering cats according to shelter procedures.
• Cleaning litter boxes, kennels, and living spaces.
• Providing enrichment, socialization, exercise, comfort, and appropriate handling.
• Monitoring animals for changes in appetite, behavior, health, or temperament and reporting concerns promptly.
• Following veterinary and shelter instructions regarding medications and other required care.
• Helping cats become comfortable with people and better prepared for adoption through patience, consistency, and enrichment.
• Supporting a clean, calm, low-stress environment for the animals.
• Assisting with transportation to veterinary appointments when needed.

You will encounter friendly and affectionate cats, shy or frightened cats, stressed or unsocialized cats, energetic cats, senior cats, medically fragile cats, and occasionally cats that are simply having a very bad day. Compassion and patience are essential.

Cleaning and Sanitation

Keeping the shelter clean is one of the most important parts of animal care. You will be expected to:

• Clean and disinfect kennels and common areas.
• Wash dishes, litter boxes, bedding, and toys.
• Sweep, mop, sanitize, and maintain shelter surfaces.
• Handle laundry.
• Follow established cleaning, sanitation, and disease-prevention procedures.
• Maintain cleanliness throughout the shelter rather than waiting until someone tells you something needs to be cleaned.

This is not a position for someone who wants to avoid the less glamorous parts of animal care. There will be litter. There will be odors. There will be bodily fluids. There will be cat hair everywhere. You may get dirty, wet, scratched, bumped into, climbed on, licked, or go home smelling like cats. That's all just part of the job.

Adoptions, Customer Service, and Public Interaction

This position also involves working with people. You may interact with adopters, clients, volunteers, visitors, community members, and members of the general public—both at the shelter and at off-site events. You will:

• Answer the telephone and respond to inquiries.
• Assist potential adopters in person, by phone, or online.
• Answer questions about cats, adoption procedures, and basic animal care.
• Help match adopters with cats whose personalities and needs are appropriate for their households.
• Gather information during animal intakes.
• Communicate shelter policies and limitations clearly and respectfully.
• Respond appropriately when someone is upset, frustrated, or disappointed.
• Interact with volunteers and community members in a professional and welcoming manner.

Working with the public requires patience, emotional maturity, good judgment, and the ability to remain professional even when a conversation is difficult.

You may be speaking with someone who is thrilled about adopting a kitten one minute and someone who is heartbroken about surrendering a beloved pet the next. You may also have to explain that we cannot accept an animal because the shelter is full.

We expect our staff to communicate honestly and compassionately while also following Humane Society policies and maintaining appropriate boundaries.

Communication and Attention to Detail

This is an important part of the position. Our employees communicate by telephone, in person, by email, by text and via direct messages. Staff may be asked to respond to questions, document information, communicate instructions, follow up with clients, or represent the Humane Society at public events. You must be able to:

• Read and understand written instructions.
• Pay attention to details.
• Follow directions and Humane Society Policies and Procedures accurately.
• Communicate clearly and professionally in writing.
• Communicate comfortably with people in person and over the phone.
• Take the time to understand a question before responding.
• Recognize when you do not know an answer and ask for clarification rather than guessing.

We are not looking for someone who simply wants to work around animals. We are looking for someone who can communicate effectively and take responsibility for the information they are given.

Community Outreach, Events, and TNR

The Humane Society is actively involved in the Logan County community. Depending on scheduling and organizational needs, this position may assist with:

• Off-site adoption events.
• Community outreach.
• Educational programs.
• Fundraising events.
• Free or low-cost microchipping opportunities.
• Pet food pantry distribution.
• Community cat and TNR activities.

Our Trap-Neuter-Return program is an important part of our effort to reduce the number of unwanted and homeless cats in Logan County. Staff may assist with trapping, transportation, recovery, documentation, colony information, and communication with community cat caretakers.

You do not need previous TNR experience. You do need to be willing to learn and understand why this work is an important part of our larger mission.

What We're Looking For

The right person for this position will be:

Reliable. Our animals cannot wait for someone who decides not to come to work. Consistent attendance and punctuality are critical.

Compassionate. You must be able to treat animals with patience and kindness regardless of their behavior or condition.

Hardworking. There is a significant amount of cleaning and physical work involved, and everyone on our team contributes.

Responsible. You must be able to follow instructions, complete tasks without constant supervision, and communicate when something needs attention.

A good communicator. You should be comfortable speaking with the public and communicating professionally by phone, text, and email.

Detail-oriented. Small details matter in animal care, cleaning, recordkeeping, communication, and following instructions.

Adaptable. Shelter work rarely goes exactly according to plan. You need to be able to shift between tasks without losing sight of what needs to be accomplished.

Emotionally mature. Working with animals and the public can be rewarding, frustrating, sad, and stressful. We need someone who can handle difficult situations appropriately.

Willing to learn. Previous shelter or veterinary experience is helpful but is not required. We value people who are willing to learn our procedures and take feedback seriously.

The Reality of Shelter Work

Animal shelter work is not for everyone. It is physically demanding. You will spend a significant amount of time standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, cleaning, and working directly with animals.

It can be emotionally challenging. You will see animals who have been abandoned, neglected, frightened, sick, or otherwise in difficult circumstances. It can also be unpredictable. A quiet morning can turn chaotic very quickly. But it is also incredibly rewarding.

You may watch a frightened cat slowly learn to trust people again. You may see an animal recover from illness. You may help a cat find the family that will love it for the rest of its life. You may educate someone who didn't understand the importance of spaying, neutering, or microchipping. Those moments are the reason we do this work.

Physical Requirements

Applicants must be comfortable with:

• Standing and walking for extended periods.
• Bending, kneeling, reaching, and lifting.
• Lifting and carrying supplies weighing up to approximately 40 pounds.
• Cleaning litter boxes, kennels, floors, dishes, and other shelter areas.
• Working around fur, litter, odors, cleaning products, and bodily fluids.
• Working around frightened, stressed, unsocialized, or unpredictable animals.
• Being scratched, bumped, jumped on, or otherwise subjected to normal hazards of working with cats.
• Working both independently and as part of a team.

Minimum Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Have their own reliable transportation.
• Be available for morning shifts, generally approximately 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Have regular availability on both weekdays AND weekends.
• Be dependable and punctual.
• Be comfortable with the physical requirements of the position.
• Be able to communicate professionally with coworkers, clients, adopters, volunteers, and the general public.
• Submit a resume with their application.

Previous experience in animal care, veterinary clinics, shelters, boarding facilities, rescue organizations, customer service, or similar environments is a plus, but it is not required.

We can teach you our procedures. We cannot teach you to care about the work, show up reliably, or take responsibility for your commitments.

A Resume Is Required

Please submit a resume with your application. Your resume does not need to be professionally designed, and animal shelter experience is not required. However, we do want to see how you communicate in writing and how you present information about yourself.

If you have limited employment experience, that's okay. Your resume can include volunteer work, school activities, community involvement, leadership experience, personal animal care, customer service, or other responsibilities.

What matters is that you share a clear, organized document that tells us something meaningful about your experience, skills, and responsibilities.

Your resume needs to let us see who you are and how you will fit into our organization. It needs to tell us about you and why we should bring you in for an interview!

Position Details

Position: Part-Time Kennel Technician
Location: Humane Society for Logan County, Russellville, KY
Hours: Approximately 20 hours per week, with potential for additional hours depending on shelter needs
Typical Shift: Approximately 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Schedule: Shifts may occur any day of the week, including weekends and occasional major holidays
Age Requirement: 18+
Transportation: Applicant must have their own reliable transportation
Experience: Previous animal care experience preferred but not required
Resume: Required

Why Work at Humane Society?

When you work at the Humane Society for Logan County, you are doing more than caring for animals in a shelter. You are helping create a community where fewer animals become homeless in the first place.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Make a direct difference in the lives of animals.
• Help cats find permanent homes.
• Educate the public about responsible pet ownership.
• Support TNR and spay/neuter efforts.
• Help promote microchipping and preventive veterinary care.
• Keep pets in loving homes through programs such as our pet food pantry.
• Work with a team that is committed to changing the future of animal welfare in Logan County.

Ready to Apply?

If you are dependable, compassionate, hardworking, detail-oriented, and genuinely interested in being part of our mission, we would like to hear from you.

Please submit your resume by 9am on Monday September 28, 2026.

Please do not apply if you are under 18, if you do not have your own reliable transportation, or cannot consistently work morning shifts on both weekdays and weekends.

We look forward to hearing from applicants who understand that shelter work is a responsibility, are willing to work hard, and want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of animals and people in Logan County.

The Humane Society for Logan County is an equal opportunity employer committed to maintaining a respectful environment for employees, volunteers, adopters, and the community we serve.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From $12.00 per hour

Expected hours: 20.0 – 25.0 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Professional development assistance

Application Question(s):

• Are you at least 18 years of age?

Work Location: In person