Contingent Paraprofessional - Police, Animal Control

POSITION SUMMARY:

Employee performs routine animal handling and control work, caring for animals confined at the County Animal Shelter.

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

This is a support role to routine animal handling and control work, caring for animals confined at the County Animal Shelter, maintaining related records, and assisting with shelter clerical functions. Assignments include cleaning and maintaining all facilities at the Animal Shelter and surrounding area; food preparation and feeding of animals; and providing animal health care. Clerical duties include serving as radio dispatcher for Animal Control Wardens; answering phone inquiries from the public; working at the public assistance counter; and assisting with other clerical functions. Work is performed under close supervision from a technical superior. Assignments are stable in nature and performed in accordance with applicable standards and regulations.

Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Works and cooperates with co-workers and supervisors at all levels.

• Learns and performs all essential job functions accurately.

• Feeding and watering animals; cleaning disinfecting and maintaining cages, kennels, and surrounding areas, euthanizing animals, capturing and restraining animals, writing detailed reports, completing and processing a large variety of complex forms on animal redemptions, adoptions, animal licensing transactions, animal intake, charting drugs and treatments administered to animals, etc.

• This position performs temperament evaluations and physical examinations on incoming animals, checks animals for tattoos and micro-chips, traces license and rabies tags, bathes and grooms animals, quarantines rabies suspect animals, administers vaccinations, medications, first aid, fluids, wound treatment, etc., as needed.

• Employees in this position must be able to handle all species of animals including reptiles, amphibians, domestic, exotic, wildlife, livestock and insects.

• Contingent Animal Handlers are responsible for interviewing adoption applicants, safely and tactfully resolving conflicts and confrontational situations, making informed decisions on animal adoptions and will assist with euthanasia, and must be able to effectively communicate to the public information on animal control laws, nuisance wildlife deterrents, proper pet care and training, disease recognition, preventative veterinary care required, behavior modification, etc.

• Employees handle cash transactions, prepare receipts and operate the cash register.

• Animal Handlers enter and retrieve information from the computer, answer multi-line phones, operate the copier, rescue animals in distress, control animals creating a danger, assist with clerical and administrative duties, prepare statistical reports, conduct humane educational programs and tours, operate specialized animal control equipment and pressure washer, use chemicals and disinfectants as needed.

• Required work schedules include day, evening, night, weekends, holidays, shift changes and, often without advance notice.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This job has no supervisory responsibilities. 

Any combination of education and experience which has provided the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities required in the routine care and maintenance of animals confined to the County animal shelter and in the performance of basic clerical responsibilities. 

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Experience in animal handing is preferred

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to stand for prolonged periods of time. Heavy lifting and manual dexterity are required.

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

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The work environment consists of working within the shelter. This is an extremely fast-paced and highly stressful work environment. Employees are exposed to dangerous, rabid and diseased domestic animals, exotics and wildlife. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals. The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, outside weather conditions, extreme cold, extreme heat, risk of electrical shock, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually very loud. 

LANUGAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS, AND REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. 

Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Possession of a valid driver's license.

Salary : $20