Animal Care Specialist

Allegan County Government; Michigan; On-site; USD 28,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits start after hire date

Medical, Dental & Vision plans

County-funded HSA with high-deductible

Life insurance

Short-term disability

County retirement plan with 7% county‑

Tuition Reimbursement

Front-loaded PTO

13 paid holidays

Fitness centers

Job summary

Allegan County Government is seeking a dedicated Animal Care professional to provide advanced care, behavioral assessment, enrichment planning, and operational support at the Allegan County Animal Shelter. This role ensures humane handling and high-quality care while mentoring staff and backing up the Operations Supervisor to maintain daily shelter operations.

Responsibilities include intake assessments, behavior observations, enrichment plan development, daily care tasks, documentation, and

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Passion for helping and treating animals.
• Experience in animal care preferred.
• Ability to handle aggressive and/or injured animals safely.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with interruptions.

Responsibilities

• Assist with animal intake assessments and documentation.
• Lead behavioral observation and evaluation for safe handling and adoption matching.
• Develop and implement enrichment plans for animal well-being.
• Perform daily animal care duties: feeding, watering, grooming, exercise and health monitoring.
• Provide mentorship to Animal Care staff on safe handling and sanitation.
• Maintain accurate documentation for care, schedules, vaccinations and behavior.
• Maintain a clean, sanitary shelter environment in compliance with safety standards.
• Monitor inventory levels for animal food and supplies.
• Participate in shelter events and community education activities.
• Serve as backup to the Operations Supervisor for daily operations and escalation.

Skills

Animal care experience

Dog behavior understanding

Calm handling

Communication skills

Time management

Teamwork

Detail-oriented

Interpersonal skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Allegan County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County’s natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.

Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty. A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We have been recognized by Gallagher as “Best in Class Winner” among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well‑being for three years in a row (2023-2025). We have also received the “Impact Award” from M.E.R.S. for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!

Job Summary

This position provides advanced animal care, behavioral assessment, enrichment planning, and operational support for the Allegan County Animal Shelter. This position ensures humane treatment, safe handling and high‑quality care of shelter animals while offering guidance and mentorship to Animal Care staff. The position serves as backup to the Operations Supervisor to support continuity of daily shelter operations and issue escalation. This role provides technical leadership but does not exercise formal supervisory authority.

Starting Wage

: $24.26 per hour, full-time

Excellent Benefits Plan: Health benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date

• Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which have $0 premium)
• County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans
• County-paid employee life insurance coverage
• County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks
• Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings
• Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses
• Generous PTO plan, including front‑loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.
• 13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO
• FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers

Responsibilities And Duties

• Assist with animal intake assessments and documentation, including kennel cards and behavioral intake notes.
• Lead behavioral observation and evaluation processes to support safe handling, adoption matching, and appropriate housing placement.
• Develop and implement enrichment plans to promote physical and psychological well‑being.
• Perform daily animal care duties including feeding, watering, grooming, exercise, enrichment, cleaning, and health monitoring. Identify and communicate health or behavioral concerns.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to Animal Care staff to reinforce safe handling, sanitation standards, and humane care practices.
• Maintain accurate and complete documentation for animal care, feeding schedules, vaccinations, behavioral observations, and health‑related records.
• Assist in maintaining a clean, sanitary, and organized shelter environment in compliance with safety and biosecurity standards.
• Monitor and update inventory levels for animal food and care supplies.
• Participate in shelter events, outreach initiatives, and community education activities.
• Serve as backup to the Operations Supervisor in coordinating daily shelter operations, workflow, staffing communication, and escalation of safety or operational concerns.
• Other duties as assigned

Required Education And Experience

• High School Diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.).
• Passion for helping and treating animals
• Previous experience in animal care or other related fields is preferred
• Understanding of basic dog behavior, body language, and signs of mental “breakdown” in dogs, as well as the ability to respond appropriately, in a calm non‑threatening manner
• Ability to handle aggressive and/or injured animals in a manner that is safe for animals and shelter staff, for purposes of intake, kenneling, medical care, etc. and euthanasia, if necessary.
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment with frequent interruptions and changing work priorities
• Detail-oriented, Self‑motivated as well as Team‑oriented
• Effective time management and organizational skills
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Effective interpersonal and customer service skills
• Candidates must pass a drug screen (which includes testing for THC) in order to be hired for this position.