Animal Welfare Deputy

Under general supervision, assists in controlling the animal population and educates the public on proper care and containment of animals. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: -- Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills.  This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodations will be made as required.  Employees are required to be in attendance and prepared to begin work at their assigned work location on the specified days and hours. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Carry out the Sheriff’s Mission and Vision and adhere to the Office’s core values; Trust, Service, Community;
• Cultivates high morale and a Team culture;
• Performs all services at a high-level and is customer-service oriented;
• Subject for call to duty in the event of a natural disaster or critical incident;
• Responds to citizen’s complaints, investigates alleged acts of animal cruelty, and enforces local and state laws concerning animal control;
• Captures, restrains, and impounds animals;
• Follows-up on bite cases;
• Vaccinates and euthanizes animals in accordance with federal, state, and local laws, and the agency’s policy;
• Prepares and maintains accurate records (including, but not limited to drugs logs), and reports of activities, incidents, and offenses;
• Maintains inventories of equipment, materials, and supplies required to support daily operations;
• Works closely with the public and gives suggestions or advice on problems and care relating to animals;
• Prepares and transports animal remains for testing to the Houston Rabies Lab in cases of suspect rabid animals;
• Issues citations for violations of County and/or State animal ordinances and regulations;
• Testifies as an expert witness in court for animal cruelty cases;
• Ensures that animals in custody are maintained in a healthy and sanitary environment as required by state laws and the liabilities incurred with the seizure of personal property;
• Inputs data into shelter software;
• Computes fees and issues receipts to owners claiming animals;
• Maintains, fuels, and services vehicles;
• Performs such other duties as are necessary to the efficient operation of the Sheriff’s Office.

EDUCATION, REQUIREMENTS, AND TRAINING: -- the preferred way to obtain the minimum knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position are listed below.  The County reserves the right to allow substitutions in the event that a candidate or incumbent exceeds requirements in one area but may be deficient in another.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & TRAINING GUIDELINES:

• High school diploma or equivalent; AND
• 1 year of related experience; OR
• A combination of education, training, and experience;
• Must be 21 years of age.

LICENSE & CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid Texas Driver’s License;
• Basic Animal Control Certification;
• Euthanasia Certification;
• All State Certifications in all aspects of Animal Control required by the County and State laws.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: -- to perform this position successfully, an individual(s) must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. 

Knowledge of:

• County, State, and Federal laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process;
• Court settings;
• Proper care and treatment of all types of animals;
• Proper use, care and maintenance of tools such as catch poles, traps, kennels, leashes and lariat ropes;
• Legal terminology and various state and federal codes and agencies;
• Applying concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations;
• Modern office procedures and equipment;
• Department and County policies, procedures and regulations covering specific areas of assignment.

 

Skills and Abilities in:

• Safely operating county vehicles;
• Interacting safely with a wide variety of animals;
• Critical thinking skills to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solution, conclusion or approaches to problems.
• Communication skills, both written and oral, to interact with a variety of people; accurately document and report on incidents;
• Ability to remain calm and make sound decision in stressful or dangerous situations;
• Problem-solving skills to analyze situations quickly and draw logical conclusions, often in high-pressure or stressful situations;
• Maintaining strict confidentiality;
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with judges, managers, supervisor, employees, external public agencies and organizations, attorneys, bonding companies and the general public;
• Using initiative, discretion and decision making within established procedures, guidelines and rules;
• Performing various mathematical calculations;

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: -- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

Environmental Conditions: Duties and trainings are generally performed within Brazoria County in both indoor and outdoor environments. Occasionally, duties and trainings are performed outside Brazoria County. Exposure to extreme and stressful environmental conditions may include, but not limited to: Natural disasters; Manmade disasters; Exposure to toxic chemicals; Adverse weather conditions involving heat, cold, rain, wind, and ice; Exposure to bio-hazardous materials; Extreme driving conditions; High-voltage areas; Low-light to no light conditions; Bright light conditions; Smoky conditions; Areas containing dangerous and hostile person(s); Areas containing dangerous animals; Confined spaces; Areas in which heavy machinery may be operating; Roadways; Areas containing dangerous debris; Areas containing deceased animals and humans; Spaces not in compliant with local, state, and federal safety code and law regulations/laws.

Physical Demands: Certain physical abilities are required to ensure the essential functions of the position are able to be performed. These abilities may include, but not limited to: Walking, running, crawling, standing, sitting, jumping, kneeling, bending over, laying down for long periods of time; Discharge firearms; Operate a vehicle in normal and high-risk situations; Affect an arrest on combative/resistant person(s); Perform life-saving measures; Carry, push, pull, drag, or hold medium to heavy objects, including a person; Maintain rational decision making abilities in life-threatening and high-stress situations; Engage in high-stress and physically challenging training scenarios; Speak and hear in order to communicate effectively in person,   through telephone, and  through emergency radios.

 

DISCLAIMER

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

Salary : $20 - $21