Animal Shelter Kennel Technician

LOCATION: City of Pasco, WA – On-site

SALARY: $20.97 – $25.17 Hourly / $43,617.60 – $52,353.60 Annually

JOB TYPE: Regular / Full-Time

UNION STATUS: IUOE Local 280

FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt

WORK SCHEDULE: 

• Schedule: 5 days per week, 8 hours per day
• Coverage: Animal care operations are required 7 days per week.
• Available Shifts: 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m
• Must be available to work weekends and holidays

CLOSING DATE: 9/24/2026

THE ROLE:

As an Animal Shelter Kennel Technician, you will play an important role in supporting the daily care, safety, and well-being of animals brought to the City of Pasco Animal Shelter. This position is responsible for handling and caring for animals, cleaning and maintaining kennel areas, feeding and watering animals, maintaining accurate records, and assisting visitors of the shelter.

The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in animal care, excellent customer service skills, and the ability to work safely and humanely with animals of varying temperaments. This role requires reliability, compassion, attention to detail, and the ability to follow established procedures while working in a fast-paced animal shelter environment.

You will clean and disinfect animal cages, kennels, outdoor runs, hallways, floors, walls, restrooms, and isolation/quarantine areas; clean water and food dishes; wash and disinfect animal bedding and cots; prepare food; feed and water animals; identify animals that may be sick or diseased; and take precautions to prevent the spread of disease to other animals or humans.

This position also greets customers, provides information and assistance related to shelter adoptions and policies, performs accurate data entry into shelter software, moves animals safely and humanely throughout the shelter, educates prospective adopters, operates shelter vehicles as needed, and performs other animal shelter-related duties as assigned.

Review Full Job Description Here

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job.

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Must be 18 years of age.
• Valid Washington State driver license.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to handle stressful situations with professionalism and compassion.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Previous Animal Shelter experience 

COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS PACKAGE:

The City offers a full benefits package for the employee and all eligible dependents covered at low premiums including:

• Medical coverage is available at tiered monthly rates based on plans election and coverage level. Dental coverage is available at $11.59/month and vision coverage at $6.54/month.
• Basic life insurance paid for by the City and employee sponsored supplemental life insurance.
• 12 days of vacation during the 1st year of employment and 12 days of sick leave which are available for use upon accrual.
• 10 holidays, plus each IUOE employee receives 2 floating holidays each year.
• Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS), which offers a guaranteed monthly benefit once vesting criteria has been met.
• In addition to DRS, employees may also contribute to a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, that offers a pre-tax contribution of 4% from the City.
• Other benefits offered: Comprehensive Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Assistance, Flexible Spending Plan, Long-Term Disability, Aflac, and Flexible Schedule, per department approval.

SAFETY/WORK CONDITIONS:

• Work is performed in a moderately noisy indoor environment as well as outdoors, often in inclement weather.
• Physical: This position requires the ability to lift and handle objects and animals weighing up to 60 pounds and restraining and handling animals up to 150 pounds. The position also requires the ability to walk and stand for long periods of time, climb stairs, bend, reach, hold, grasp, and turn objects.
• This position is performed in an animal shelter/office environment under pressure and requires the ability to quickly adjust to changing priorities and demands.
• Hazards: This position may include exposure to disinfectant solutions, animal dander, zoonotic diseases, and animal bites or scratches while handling or working around unruly, aggressive, and unpredictable animals.
• This position requires the ability to handle unruly, aggressive, and otherwise dangerous animals safely and humanely.

If you're seeking a fulfilling career that allows you to contribute to a thriving community and grow both personally and professionally, the City of Pasco is the place for you.