Animal Services Officer

Performs entry-level work. Work involves protecting residents from and educating the community about stray or vicious animals and related diseases, capturing, impounding, relocating, and when necessary, disposing of animals; and maintaining records. Works under moderate supervision with expectation to ask questions and to work toward more independent use of initiative and independent judgment.

• Hiring Process Letter 
• Background Waiver 
• Physical Ability Waiver 

• Patrol an assigned area for stray, vicious or injured animals and respond to citizen complaints regarding same.
• Enforce laws and ordinances and protect citizens and property.
• Share information and work with other law enforcement agencies as directed and appropriate.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable laws and statutes, pending legislation, and conduct research to address new issues and their impact.
• Work shift as assigned.
• Maintain 24 hour on-call status as assigned.
• Maintain vehicle and equipment in accordance with state regulations.
• Assist with maintaining up to date registration of animals.
• Issue warnings and citations.
• Conduct animal bite investigations and place animal into quarantine.
• Pick up live and dead animals to keep the city free of road obstructions, health hazards, and stray animals.
• Process and submit animals for rabies testing, including the decapitation of animals as necessary.
• Proceeds with legal action against violators and testify in court in animal related cases.
• Employees are required to work on call and overtime as the need arises, may have to answer subpoenaed appearances in court on employee’s day off or before and/or after a regularly scheduled work shift.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

Required Certificates and Licenses:

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Knowledge of city departmental policies and procedures.
• All appropriate applicable state; and local laws; city ordinances
• Use and care of vehicles, and specialized facilities and equipment.  
• Skill and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other law enforcement agencies, judicial officials, and the public.
• Analyze situations and adopt a quick, effective, and reasonable course of action. 
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Perform computer tasks effectively and maintain acceptable operational knowledge of standard software programs utilized by the department to prepare required reports.
• Maintain appropriate necessary certifications. 
• Ability to operate animal services vehicles, police radio, first aid equipment, animal services tools and equipment, and other equipment as required. 
• Limited agility exam, normal speech, normal or corrected vision, and normal or corrected hearing.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and occasionally lift 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 ability to adjust focus.

Working Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; extreme cold; extreme heat; risk of electrical shock; explosives; risk of radiation and vibration.  The noise level in the work environment is usually loud (moderate, loud, very loud).

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

Job offer and continuation of employment with the City of Leander is contingent upon:

• Proof of education, certification(s) and experience as listed on the employment application based on the job posting requirements.
• Satisfactory results from a pre-employment criminal history background and driving record check.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship. *
• Compliance with the Selective Service Registration for male US citizens and immigrants, who are ages 18-25.

*The City of Leander participates in E-Verify! Information from each new employee’s Form I-9 will be provided to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to confirm work authorization. 

The City of Leander is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information in employment. 

Applicants should communicate requests for disability-related accommodations during the application process to our Human Resources Department at hr@leandertx.gov or 512-528-2708. Deaf and hard of hearing applicants may contact our office via Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or 1-800-735- 2989 (TTY/TDD).

Salary : $40,518 - $56,378