Animal Care Specialist

Broward County, Florida; Fort Lauderdale (FL); On-site; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

HSA (County funded)

Paid holidays

Vacation time

Tuition reimbursement

457 Deferred Compensation

Job summary

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is seeking an Animal Care Specialist (Kennels) to support the Animal Care Division in shelter operations. The role involves intake, care, sanitation, and records management for dogs and cats, under close supervision.

Requires six months of animal care experience and customer service. Benefits include health plans, HSA, holidays, vacation, tuition reimbursement, and retirement options, with a focus on animal welfare and public service.

Qualifications

• Requires six (6) months of experience in the professional care and handling of animals, and customer service.

Responsibilities

• Receive dogs and cats brought to the shelter; weigh, examine, and observe animals for illness or injury; place animals in kennels and maintain impounding records.
• Clean and sanitize kennel areas; organize and disinfect equipment; perform laundry and related tasks.
• Prepare food and feed animals per schedules; provide drinking water.
• Report medical issues to clinic staff and assist with monthly preventative medications and routine vaccinations.
• Perform daily census rounds and update animal records; maintain records of medical/behavioral issues.

Skills

Animal care

Customer service

Job description

REQUIREMENTS AND PREFERENCES

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is seeking qualified candidates for Animal Care Specialist (Kennels) to support the Animal Care Division.

Benefits of Broward County Employment

High Deductible Health Plan - bi-weekly premiums:

Single $10.90 / Family $80.79

Includes a County Funded Health Savings Account of up to $2000 Annually

Consumer Driven Health Plan - bi-weekly premiums:

Single $82.58 / Family $286.79

Florida Retirement System (FRS) - Pension or Investment Plan

457 Deferred Compensation Employee Match

Eleven (11) paid holidays each year

Vacation (Paid Time Off) = 2 weeks per year

Up to 40 hours of Job Basis Leave for eligible positions

Tuition Reimbursement (Up to 2K annually)

General Description

Performs a variety of animal control and care work in the kennels of the Animal Care and Adoption Division.

Works under close to general supervision according to set procedures.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Requires six (6) months of experience in the professional care and handling of animals, and customer service.

Special Certifications and Licenses

None.

Preferences

Knowledge of general animal care/health principals and practices.

Additional Information:

This position is a safety-sensitive position. Candidates selected for employment will be subject to pre-employment verifications to include but not limited to; post-offer physical examination/drug test and clearance of the Department of Children and Families Affidavit of Good Moral Character.

SCOPE OF WORK

Duties and Responsibilities

• Receive dogs and cats brought to the shelter. Weighs, examines, and observes animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury. Places animals in kennels and maintains impounding records using the computer system.
• Cleans and sanitizes assigned kennel areas; organizes and disinfects equipment; laundry.
• Prepare food and feed animals according to schedules and feeding instructions. Provide drinking water for animals in the animal shelter.
• Reports any medical issues to clinic staff and may assist with the application or administration of monthly preventative parasiticides, routine vaccinations and/or oral medications.
• Performs daily census rounds and updates animal records as needed.
• Ensures disease management best practices are followed to prevent cross-contamination.
• Responds to questions and inquiries from citizens regarding the care of animals. Provides assistance to citizens visiting the shelter for adoption, redemption, and surrender of dogs and cats.
• Observation and interaction with animals at shelter in accordance with established guidelines and protocols to gather behavioral information and provide quality care.
• Maintains shelter records and notes medical/behavioral problems of animals using the computer system.
• Notifies supervisor of supply or equipment needs.
• Performs related work as required.

Competencies

• Decision Quality: Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. Seeks coaching from others to address routine problems; learns to handle these issues effectively. Bases decisions and actions on relevant rules and procedures.
• Action Oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm. Identifies what needs to be done and acts quickly. Shows optimism and enthusiasm that affects others positively. Works independently but knows when to ask for help.
• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Listens attentively and takes an interest. Keeps others well informed; conveys information clearly, concisely, and professionally when speaking or writing.
• Courage: Steps up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said. Discusses tough issues with a frank and forthcoming approach; faces adversity and accepts challenges. When confronted, takes ownership and responds appropriately.
• Manages Ambiguity: Operates effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear. Learns about changing priorities and responds appropriately. Connects with appropriate individuals to gain direction. Takes steps forward, even when details are unknown.
• Being Resilient: Rebounds from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations. Exhibits great composure during crisis situations and helps foster resilience and determination throughout the organization. Is a role model for dealing with hardships, and helps the organization learn and grow from the experiences.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

Performs medium work that involves walking, standing, stooping, stretching, or lifting all of the time and also involves exerting between 20 and 50 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or exceptional skill, adeptness, and speed in the use of fingers, hands, or limbs in tasks involving very close tolerances or limits of accuracy.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

Involves routine and frequent exposureto disease/pathogens, dog and cat allergens, potentially aggressive animals and periods of mental stress.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

County Core Values

All Broward County employees strive to demonstrate the County's four core behavioral competencies.

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Customer focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Instills trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Values differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.

Copyright 2025 Korn Ferry. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance

Broward County is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusion. Broward County is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. We support the hiring of people with disabilities; therefore, if you require assistance due to a disability, please contact the Professional Standards Section in advance at 954-357-6500 or email [e-mail] to make an accommodation request.

County-wide Emergency Responsibilities

Note: During emergency conditions, all County employees are automatically considered emergency service workers. County employees are subject to being called to work in the event of a disaster, such as a hurricane, or other emergency situation and are expected to perform emergency service duties, as assigned.

County-wide Employee Responsibilities

All Broward County employees must serve the public and fellow employees with honesty and integrity in full accord with the letter and spirit of Broward County's Employee Code of Ethics, gift, and conflict of interest policies.

All Broward County employees must establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, co-workers, elected and appointed officials and members of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or gender identity and expression.