With so many having beloved pets part of the family, animal euthanasia can be a difficult subject to broach.  But with the never-ending overpopulation of stray animals, the painless death-inducing procedure is an important part of the island’s only Yigo animal shelter. It’s why Guam Animals In Need spoke with KUAM as they search for a compassionate animal caretaker and euthanasia technician.

While animal euthanasia can be a sensitive subject for many, it’s an important part of the daily operations at the Yigo Animal Shelter, according to Guam Animals In Need executive director Alison Hadley.  

She told KUAM News, "Being the only animal shelter on the island, we are what we call an ‘open-end mission,’ meaning we will take in any animal in any condition. But as we let people know when they drop off animals in any circumstance, we don’t have all the bells and whistles in our clinic. Our clinic is spay and neuter focused."

GAIN is looking to shore up their workforce by hiring a compassionate part-time animal caretaker and euthanasia technician.  The need arising as some staff members with military families are expected to PCS off island soon.  

"We need dedicated and compassionate people who feel that that is a task that they can take on. It’s a really important part of what we do for the population issue overall, but for the care of the pet. Being there for them in those last moments is tough but for those of us here, it feels like a necessary part of the job," she said.

Hadley wants to be transparent about animal euthanasia, emphasizing, "The painless death inducing procedure is administered to end or prevent suffering for pets, which she says is a huge part of GAIN's mission."

It’s the purpose behind the euthanasia technician position, of which she said, "You are ensuring that you are limiting and eliminating any suffering that animal is going through or may experience by being here because of the condition that they are in. Obviously, if they are injured or sick, being in an outdoor kennel is not ideal. And if it is outside of our realm of ability of care, then our only option is to humanely put them to sleep and let them be at peace."

There are 16 employees at GAIN working at the shelter and the SNIP Clinic. Most of them are certified to administer euthanasia. 

Hadley says it’s a requirement for every GAIN employee working directly with the outdoor shelter. She noted, "No expectations that they have the certification already. That is something that we bring to the table for them. The territorial veterinarian of Guam handles that certification and there’s a whole training process through books, sit down classes, and of course the hands-on training. Then at the end, they take the final exam to make sure that they are up to par with everything. That is also handled by the territorial veterinarian."

The deadline to apply is December 27. You can email your resume and cover letter to [email protected].  

Interviews will take place January 2025.