What are the responsibilities and job description for the Animal Control Officer I position at City of San Bernardino, CA?
Why Join Team SB
Do you have a passion for helping animals and a commitment to serving your community?
We invite you to join the City of San Bernardino's Animal Services Department as a
Animal Control Officer I (FLEX)!
About the City:We invite you to join the City of San Bernardino's Animal Services Department as a
Animal Control Officer I (FLEX)!
As a future member of our team, you'll be joining a city with deep roots, cultural diversity, and exciting momentum. Located in the heart of Southern California's Inland Empire, San Bernardino is the county seat and largest city in the region, home to more than 222,000 residents. Its rich history — shaped by Native American, Mexican, and Spanish influences — continues to inspire the city's evolving identity.
San Bernardino offers access to major transit corridors, natural beauty, and a wide range of housing and lifestyle options. It's a place where public service careers are supported by a strong sense of community and purpose — and where motivated professionals can grow, contribute, and be part of something meaningful.
About the Position:
The incumbent will be responsible for enforcing city and state ordinances governing citizen ownership of animals within the City of San Bernardino and contracting cities. Investigates reports of animal cruelty, abandonment, patrols assigned areas, and collects and transports animals to the City's Animal Shelter. Work schedule may vary, must be willing to work weekends and/or Holidays.
The Ideal Candidate:
- Customer Service Skills: Maintains a friendly, professional, and compassionate demeanor to regularly engage with the public, explaining laws and regulations related to animal care and control.
- Animal Handling Experience: Capable of safely and humanely handling animals of all sizes and temperaments, proficient in using leashes, control sticks, animal traps, cat tongs, and other handling equipment. Familiar with safe and humane euthanasia methods.
- Administrative Abilities: Skilled in record keeping, radio dispatch procedures, issuing citations, and preparing basic records and reports.
What You'll Be Doing Here
- Patrols and monitors assigned areas in City vehicles; captures wild, stray, and unlicensed animals for impounding; assists other agencies such as police department, CHP, code compliance, and school districts with issues involving domestic and wild animals.
- Investigates complaints from the public and other agencies regarding nuisance, stray, uncontrolled, dangerous, wild or diseased animals; investigates animal bites, arranging for proper identification and quarantine; approves and monitors home quarantine of biting animals in accordance with regulations; transports sick and dead animals, and unlicensed and stray animals to the City Animal Shelter.
- Investigates complaints regarding animal cruelty and neglect; inspects premises where animals are kept to ensure that animals' food, water, sanitation, and housing are adequate; enforces City/State ordinances governing the keeping of animals.
- Explains laws and regulations relating to the care and control of animals, filing of complaints, and the operations and authorities of the animal shelter to the public; investigates complaints of stolen animals.
Knowledge of and Skilled in:
- Basic species and breed identification for a variety of domestic and wild animals.
- Symptoms and behaviors associated with rabies and other common animal diseases.
- Animal behavior for common domestic and wild animals.
- Proper animal-handling methods, techniques, and equipment including methods for the capture of sick, injured, or vicious animals.
- Approved euthanasia methods and procedures, including the use of controlled substances.
- Handling, capturing, and controlling animals humanely and effectively under stressful or emergency conditions.
- Assessing animal behavior and making effective decisions regarding handling, capturing, or destroying the animal.
- Identifying symptoms and behaviors associated with common zoonoses, including rabies, distemper, parvo, upper respiratory infections, parasites, and other domestic and wild animal diseases.
- Utilizing and maintaining a variety of animal control tools and equipment.
What You Need to Qualify
High School diploma or G.E.D.
AND
One (1) year of experience in the care and handling of animals in a kennel, veterinary, or related field or six (6) months at, or equivalent to, the level of the Animal Shelter Attendant in the City of San Bernardino; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Licenses, Certifications, and Equipment:
A valid California driver’s license is required.
PC 832 within one year of hire.
Euthanasia Certificate preferred.
Physical Requirements and Work Environment:
The employee frequently works in extreme outside weather conditions and on slippery and uneven surfaces. The employee is often exposed to dangerous, injured, or diseased animals. The employee is frequently exposed to wet or humid conditions; fumes or airborne articles; toxic or caustic chemicals, and zoonotic and other communicable diseases. The noise level in the work environment is frequently loud within confined areas. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to use hands to manipulate, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, walk, sit, talk, and hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and the ability to adjust focus.
Recruitment Timeline
This recruitment will close on Sunday, May 4, 2025, or until a sufficient number of applications have been received.
Applications review: Week of Monday, May 5, 2025
1st Interview: (To be Determined)
How to Apply and What to Expect Next
To be considered for this position, please submit a completed job application along with responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire. Your responses should clearly outline your professional experience and qualifications. Please note: resumes will not be accepted in place of the required application or supplemental materials.
Qualified applicants will be placed on an eligible list. Top candidates may be referred to the hiring department for further consideration. All communication regarding your application status and next steps will be sent via email only—please ensure your contact information is current and check your inbox regularly.
Pre-Employment Process:The selection process may include, but is not limited to:
- Application Review
- Oral Exam
- Background Investigation with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Pre-employment Medical Exam, including drug test
- Employment/Professional Reference Check
The City of San Bernardino reserves the right to adjust the selection process as needed to meet administrative or operational requirements.
E-Verify Participation:
The City of San Bernardino participates in the E-Verify program. In compliance with federal law, all employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of individuals hired to work in the United States. Accordingly, the City will provide information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm authorization to work in the United States. For more information about E-Verify, please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website at www.uscis.gov.
Disclaimers:
The City of San Bernardino is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The City follows a nepotism policy, which may impact hiring decisions if an applicant has relatives currently employed by the City. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City provides reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To request an accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department directly at (909) 384-5104. For information regarding employee rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), please refer to the attached PDF: Employee Rights under FMLA (PDF) (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader). Please note that smoking is prohibited in all
City offices, vehicles, and designated areas.
This bulletin is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract, expressed or implied. Its contents may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice.
For questions regarding this recruitment, contact Human Resources at
909-384-5104 or email Stephanie Rivera at rivera_es@sbcity.org
Additional information is available atwww.sbcity.org.
The City offers an attractive General Unit benefit package, that includes:
