Animal Control Officer I

SUMMARY 

Working under the general supervision of the Animal Control Officer II, the Animal Control Officer I assists with receiving reports of animal bites, investigation of bite reports, ensuring quarantine of animals suspected of having rabies, and otherwise carrying out provisions of the Texas Law pertaining to the control and eradication of rabies and further carrying out of the provisions of the County Order.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Duties include the following:

• Assist Animal Control Officer II with implementation, administration, and enforcement of County Order and all state laws adopted by the Texas Department of Health establishing minimum standards of rabies control.
• Investigate bite cases, following state law and County Order.
• Investigate complaint calls and deliver relief within jurisdiction.
• Apprehend/impound animals.
• Cite violators/file complaints by citizens and testifies in court. 
• Assist Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders in removal of Animals from crime/accident scenes involving adverse environments.
• Communicate with District Attorney, Justice of the Peace, and Sheriff's office as cases warrant.
• Report to Animal Control Officer II as far as reports are concerned. In absence of Animal Control Officer II, maintain records of cases.
• All other duties necessary for the efficient implementation of County Animal Control orders and as Animal Control Officer II dictates. 
• Attendance is an essential function of the job.                                                                                             

Note:  The duties listed above are intended as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is assigned by the supervisor.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

High school diploma or GED equivalent.  Must obtain a Basic Animal Control Certification within six (6) months of hire date. Experience in Animal Control or related field preferred.  Must have valid Texas driver’s license in order to operate county vehicles. Must pass a criminal history/background check, drug screen, and general psychological evaluation. 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Basic Animal Control Certification within six (6) months of hire.

LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of citizens or employees of organization.   

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to add and subtract two digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's. Ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance. 

REASONING ABILITY Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.  Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. 

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES Must have organizational and administrative skills.   Conditions of successfully completing probation shall be attainment of basic certification in Animal Control.                                                                                  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

This position has been identified with possible risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens and/or other various hazards that require immunization against such exposure. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions. The employee frequently works in high, precarious places and is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and fumes or airborne particles.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.