Animal Services Officer

JOB SUMMARY 

The Animal Services Officer is responsible for the enforcement of laws, regulations and ordinances dealing with the care, treatment, licensing and impounding of animals within the City of Sherman.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES 

• Receive, respond to and investigate citizen complaints of animal cruelty
• Investigate reports of animal bites and assesses animals to make quarantine decisions.
• Answer, process and dispatch complaint calls and collect impound and adoption fees.
• Pursue, capture and detain both stray domesticated animals and nuisance wildlife.
• Issue warnings and citations for violations of applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.
• Maintain required reports and testify at court proceedings as necessary.
• Retrieve animal carcasses from roadways, veterinary offices and the homes of citizens for proper disposal.
• Maintain shelter facilities and equipment to prevent the spread of disease and to reduce the presence of unpleasant odors.
• Feed and provide other necessary care for all impounded animals.
• Assist shelter visitors who wish to reclaim lost and/or impounded animals.
• Provide educational tours of the shelter to interested schools and other organizations.
• Visit local schools and various other organizations to discuss and provide information concerning animal control related issues.
• Assist shelter volunteers with special programs and events.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:  

• The safe and humane use of the tools and other equipment commonly used to capture and restrain animals.
• Basic practices, procedures and methods used in animal collection.
• Various breeds of both domestic and wild animals and associated behavior characteristics.

Ability to: 

• Safely and humanely capture, restrain and detain domesticated animals and nuisance wildlife.
• Learn and apply State and local laws, regulations and ordinances relating to the treatment and care of animals.
• Effectively handle stressful situations and tactfully deal with the general public.
• Communicate effectively, courteously and clearly both verbally and in writing.
• Work independently and skillfully handle situations requiring sound judgement.
• Comprehend and follow complex oral and written work instructions.
• Physically pursue and safely capture, restrain and detain stray domesticated animals and nuisance wildlife.
• Push, pull, drag, lift and carry a minimum of 100lbs without assistance.
• Work all shifts including evenings, weekends, holidays and on-call as assigned.

Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to the level of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities will qualify. 

Experience:

• One year of previous work experience performing animal care, maintenance and/or control related duties. 

Education: 

• High School Diploma/GED required
• College level coursework in Animal Science or related discipline is highly desirable.

Licenses/Certifications: 

• State of Texas Animal Control Officer Certification is a requirement for continued employment and must be obtained within six (6) months of employment.
• Possession of a valid Class “C” or greater Driver License required. 

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS 

The duties of this position are normally performed both outdoors in a field environment and indoors in a standard Animal Shelter facility. Incumbents assigned to this position can reasonably expect to be exposed to all weather conditions and various hazardous substances such as explosive Fuels, oils and other lubricants, dust, moderately loud noise levels and aggressive domesticated and nuisance wildlife animals on a routine basis. Incumbents in this position can expect to routinely push, pull, lift and carry a minimum of 100lbs daily without assistance. Additionally, incumbents in this position should be physically able to bend, stoop, squat, kneel, crawl and reach in the performance of their daily duties. Incumbents in this position may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays and on an on-call basis.

Due to the requirement for this position to have access to sensitive information, a criminal history background, polygraph and fingerprint check will be conducted through the FBI. Candidates must not have a felony or major misdemeanor conviction.   Additionally, candidates will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment physical assessment to determine Fitness for Duty.