Harley McCutcheon

• Manual labor; involving building outdoor fencing and kennels with the use of power tools, lifting objects 70lbs+, power washing buildings, cleaning outdoor and indoor facilities, digging up hard ground surfaces, animal handling, etc.
• Working in quick paced and unpredictable environments that required critical thinking and communication; working with animals involves constant coordination and attention, as one has to be hyper aware of minuscule details that could ultimately determine the safety, health, and overall wellbeing of animals and humans alike, within itself requiring complex problem solving skills, as well as the ability to work well under pressure
• Reliability and responsible leadership and accountability; I proved myself as a trustworthy and honest person and worker, with my employer placing me in charge of certain responsibilities that other volunteers, including those who had been there longer than me, were not allowed to carry out, like handling medication- which involved accuracy and precise performance, as I handled syringes, as well as testing, pilling, and restraining animals with no room for error
• Adaptability and care; I frequently stayed hours after my scheduled work times and days many wouldn’t, such as days of intense and severe weather like hail and thunderstorms, when the shelter lost power, or difficult situations of short staffing like holidays and after storms and floods where the animals still needed care when many volunteers were unavailable