17 Animal Shelter Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Animal shelter managers are responsible for the overall care of the animals in their shelter, as well as the day-to-day operations of the shelter. This includes overseeing staff, managing finances, and working with volunteers. Animal shelter managers also work with local animal control officers and other animal welfare organizations to find homes for animals.

If you’re interested in becoming an animal shelter manager, you’ll need to be prepared to answer questions about your experience with animals, your management experience, and your knowledge of animal welfare. In this guide, you’ll find sample questions and answers that will help you prepare for your interview.

Are you comfortable working with animals?

This question is a good way to assess your comfort level with animals and how you interact with them. Interviewers may ask this question to see if you have experience working with animals, but they also want to know about your personality traits that make you a good fit for the role. In your answer, try to show that you are comfortable around animals while also highlighting any skills or experiences that prove you can work well with them.

Example: “I am very comfortable working with animals. I grew up on a farm where we had many different types of animals, including dogs, cats, horses and cows. I helped care for all of these animals throughout my childhood, so I feel confident in my ability to handle most situations when it comes to caring for animals.”

What are some of the most important skills for an animal shelter manager to have?

This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the skills and abilities to succeed in this role. When answering, it can be helpful to mention a few of your strongest skills and how they relate to working with animals.

Example: “I believe that communication and problem-solving skills are two of the most important skills for an animal shelter manager to have. I am always open to talking with my team members about any concerns or questions they may have. This helps me learn more about their strengths and weaknesses so I can provide them with feedback and guidance when needed. Problem-solving skills are also very important because there are often many challenges at an animal shelter. Having these skills allows me to find solutions to problems quickly.”

How would you handle an outbreak of a contagious disease among the animals in your care?

Animal shelters are often at risk of disease outbreaks, and the interviewer may want to know how you would handle such a situation. Use your answer to highlight your ability to make quick decisions under pressure and ensure that all animals in your care receive proper treatment.

Example: “In my last role as an animal shelter manager, we experienced an outbreak of canine flu among our dogs. I immediately called for backup staff members to help with the quarantine process while I assessed each dog’s symptoms and determined which ones needed immediate medical attention. We isolated those dogs from the rest of the population and administered antiviral medication to prevent further spread of the disease.”

What is your experience with fundraising and marketing?

Animal shelters often need to raise money for the care of their animals. Employers ask this question to learn about your experience with fundraising and marketing. Use your answer to share a specific example of how you raised money or promoted an event in the past.

Example: “In my last role as animal shelter manager, I had to find creative ways to fundraise. We held several events throughout the year that helped us raise enough money to cover our operating costs. One of our most successful fundraisers was a dog walk we hosted every month. We also sold raffle tickets at the event where people could win prizes like gift cards and pet supplies.”

Provide an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision regarding an animal in your care.

This question can help interviewers understand how you make decisions and the thought process behind them. Use this opportunity to show your critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities and leadership qualities.

Example: “In my previous role as an animal shelter manager, I had a dog that was scheduled for euthanasia because of behavioral issues. The staff and I worked hard to find a home for him, but no one wanted to adopt him because of his aggressive behavior. We decided to keep him in our care until we could find a way to rehabilitate him. After some research, we found a program that would work with us to train the dog. It took several weeks, but we were able to successfully rehabilitate the dog and find him a new home.”

If an animal has been at the shelter for a long time and hasn’t been adopted, how would you encourage potential adopters to consider that animal?

The interviewer may ask you a question like this to assess your ability to market animals and encourage potential adopters. Use examples from past experiences where you helped an animal find a home or encouraged others to adopt.

Example: “I would first make sure the animal is healthy, then I would take it out of its cage and interact with it in front of the other animals at the shelter. This helps show people that the animal is friendly and ready for adoption. If they still aren’t interested, I would offer them a discount on the adoption fee so they can see how much we want the animal to have a good home.”

What would you do if one of your volunteers or staff members was consistently careless when handling the animals?

An interviewer may ask this question to assess your leadership skills and how you would handle a conflict. In your answer, try to show that you can use your problem-solving skills to resolve the situation while also encouraging others to improve their behavior.

Example: “If I noticed one of my volunteers or staff members was being careless when handling animals, I would first speak with them about it privately. If they continued to be careless after our conversation, I would hold another private meeting with them to discuss the consequences of their actions. If they still didn’t change their behavior, I would remove them from their position at the shelter.”

How well do you handle stress?

Animal shelters can be stressful environments, especially when they’re understaffed or overcrowded. Employers ask this question to make sure you have the emotional intelligence and stress management skills to handle a challenging environment. In your answer, share how you manage stress in your personal life. Explain that you use specific techniques to stay calm and focused on the task at hand.

Example: “I find that I am able to handle stress quite well. When I was working as an animal control officer, we would often get overwhelmed with calls about stray animals. We had to work quickly to assess each situation and decide which animals needed rescuing immediately. I learned to take deep breaths and focus on one task at a time. This helped me remain calm and collected even when things got hectic.”

Do you have experience managing budgets?

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your experience with financial management. As an animal shelter manager, you’ll likely need to oversee the budget for your facility and ensure that it stays within a certain range. In your answer, share some of your past experiences managing budgets and how you did so.

Example: “In my previous role as an animal shelter manager, I was responsible for creating monthly budgets for our facility. I would meet with other members of the team to discuss what we needed money for and then create a budget based on those needs. We also had weekly meetings where we discussed whether or not we were staying within our budget and if there were any changes we needed to make.”

When is the best time to spay or neuter an animal?

This question can help the interviewer determine your knowledge of animal care and safety. It is important to show that you understand when it’s safe for an animal to undergo a procedure, as well as how to schedule procedures so they’re done at the right time.

Example: “The best time to spay or neuter an animal is before six months old. This is because this age range is when animals are most likely to heal quickly from surgery. If I notice an animal has not been spayed or neutered by this age, I will contact the owner to let them know we need to do the procedure immediately. In some cases, if the owner cannot afford the procedure, we may be able to work out a payment plan.”

We want to increase the number of animals that get vaccinated. What would you do to increase our vaccination rates?

The interviewer may ask you a question like this to see how you would implement your ideas and strategies into the animal shelter. Use examples from your experience that show you can create an action plan for implementing new programs or initiatives.

Example: “I think it’s important to have a vaccination program in place at every animal shelter because it helps prevent diseases, which saves both time and money. In my last position as an animal control officer, I worked with local veterinarians to develop a free vaccination clinic once a month where we could vaccinate animals for free while also providing education about pet care. We saw a significant increase in vaccinations after starting the program.”

Describe your process for evaluating the overall health of the animals in your care.

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your ability to make important decisions regarding the health of animals in your care. Use examples from past experiences where you used your critical thinking skills to evaluate the overall health of an animal and determine whether it was healthy enough for adoption or if it needed additional medical attention.

Example: “I use a five-point scale when evaluating the overall health of the animals in my care. The first level is ‘well,’ which means the animal has no visible injuries, illnesses or other conditions that would prevent them from being adopted. The second level is ‘needs improvement,’ which means the animal has minor issues like fleas or matted fur that can be easily treated with medication or grooming. The third level is ‘serious,’ which means the animal has more serious issues such as broken bones or untreated wounds. The fourth level is ‘critical,’ which means the animal needs immediate medical attention before they are safe for adoption.”

What makes you qualified for this position?

Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications for the position. They want to know what experience you have working with animals and how it relates to the job. Use your answer to highlight any relevant skills, knowledge or certifications that make you a good fit for the role.

Example: “I am passionate about helping animals find loving homes. I’ve worked in animal shelters for five years now, and my experience has taught me how to work well with others while also being efficient at finding solutions to problems. My communication skills are excellent, which helps me collaborate with staff members and volunteers. I’m also CPR-certified, which means I can help care for sick or injured animals.”

Which animal shelters or animal control facilities have you previously worked with?

Employers ask this question to learn more about your experience and how you might fit in with their team. When answering, it can be helpful to mention any specific skills or experiences that helped you succeed at previous facilities.

Example: “I have worked for two animal shelters previously. At my first shelter, I was a kennel attendant where I cleaned the facility and cared for animals while they were waiting to be adopted. Then, I became an adoption counselor where I helped find homes for pets by talking to potential owners and explaining our adoption process. Both of these positions taught me valuable skills that I would like to use here.”

What do you think is the most important thing that animal shelter managers can do to help reduce the number of homeless pets?

This question can help interviewers understand your thoughts on animal welfare and how you might approach the responsibilities of this role. Use examples from your experience to explain what you think is most important for helping reduce the number of homeless pets in a community.

Example: “I believe that one of the best things an animal shelter manager can do to help reduce the number of homeless pets is to make sure their facility has a low euthanasia rate. I have worked at several shelters where we had very high rates of euthanasia, which made me sad because it meant many animals were not getting the care they deserved. However, when I started working at my current shelter, I noticed that our euthanasia rate was much lower than other facilities. I asked my supervisor about it, and she told me that it’s all about having good adoption policies and procedures in place.”

How often should an animal be bathed?

Bathing an animal is a common task for an animal shelter manager. The interviewer may ask this question to learn about your bathing practices and how often you recommend it. To answer, consider what the best practice is in your area and why.

Example: “I think that animals should be bathed as little as possible because it can dry out their skin. However, I do believe that they should be bathed before being put up for adoption. In my previous position, we only bathed animals when they were going home with new owners or if they had gotten into something while at the shelter. We also recommended that people who adopted pets give them a bath within 24 hours of bringing them home.”

There is a growing concern about pets being overweight. How would you encourage pet owners to keep their animals at a healthy weight?

This question can help interviewers understand your approach to helping pet owners keep their animals healthy. Use examples from past experiences where you helped clients with this issue and how it benefited the pets in your care.

Example: “I think it’s important for animal shelter managers to be able to educate pet owners about proper nutrition and exercise for their animals. I would encourage them to bring their pets in for a free checkup once or twice a year so we could monitor their weight and overall health. If they’re overweight, I’d recommend some simple changes like switching to a healthier food or adding more walks to their daily routine.”