Animal Control Officer

City of Auburn (Washington); Auburn (WA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Pension plans

Paid holidays

VEBA

Flexible spending accounts

Deferred compensation

Wellness programs

EAP

Job summary

The City of Auburn Police Department is seeking an Animal Control Officer dedicated to animal welfare, public safety, and community service. This full-time, union-represented role offers meaningful field work, community education, and involvement in investigations and court proceedings.

The position includes bilingual pay options, education premium opportunities, and a structured benefits package. The hiring salary is anticipated at $6,489.30 per month, with potential for higher depending on

Qualifications

• Requires a High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum 1 year of experience as a Municipal or County Animal Control Officer.
• Valid driver’s license; WA license required within 30 days if coming from out of state.

Responsibilities

• Respond to animal-related calls and enforce local animal control laws.
• Assist in court case preparation and testify as needed.
• Investigate reports of animal cruelty or neglect and take appropriate action.
• Apprehend and manage animals, assess welfare, and determine disposition or euthanasia when necessary.
• Ensure proper handling, vaccination administration, and sanitation protocols.

Skills

Animal welfare

Public safety

Community service

Communication

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

Position Details

The City of Auburn Police Department (APD) is seeking a dedicated Animal Control Officer who is passionate about animal welfare, public safety, and community service. This is a rewarding, hands‑on role where you'll make a visible different every day - protecting animals, supporting residents, and helping maintain a safe, humane community.

As a member of APD's professional non-commissioned team, you'll work independently and collaboratively to respond to animal-related calls, resolve conflicts, and enforce state and local animal control laws. This position offers meaningful field work, opportunities for community education, and involvement in investigations and court proceedings, all within a supportive department that values professionalism, trust, and service.

This is a union‑represented, full‑time position covered under the IAM Collective Bargaining Agreement (effective 1/1/25 - 12/31/27). The salary range listed on the announcement is the base salary, and the hiring salary is anticipated to be $6,489.30 per month, but may be higher dependent upon recent experience.

Premium Pays

Employees are eligible for the following premium pays after a defined period of time:

• After three (3) months of service: eligible for Bilingual Pay of 3% after passing a City‑approved bilingual examination. If you are proficient in sign language or fluently speak one or more of the following languages, this premium may be available for you: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Ukrainian, Arabic, Farsi, Vietnamese, Laotian. The Chief of Police may approve additional languages.
• After completion of probation or one (1) year of service: eligible for Education Premium of 1% (for an Associate's Degree) or 3% (for a Bachelor's Degree). Members of this bargaining unit are also eligible for a 2% premium pay for Drone Part 107 and National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Certifications.
• After five (5) years of service: eligible for Longevity Premium of 2%. Premiums increase based on a schedule outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement getting up to 10% after 25 years of service.

Primary Duties

In this role, you will make a difference by performing a wide range of duties focused on animal welfare, public safety, and ordinance enforcement.

Some primary duties of APD's Animal Control Officers include:

• Enforcing civil codes and disposition of violations, to include, resolution by voluntary compliance, issuing notices of violations, corrective orders, infractions, or orders to cease activity.
• Assisting the Police department and the City Attorney's office in cases involving animals, participating in court case preparation and testifying in court. You will communicate with complainants, victims, and suspects, and maintain the chain of custody on all evidence.
• Acquiring information concerning animal control law violations within the patrol area, organizing and prioritizing routine and emergency calls, and taking action or relaying information to the proper authority.
• Responding to reports of vicious animals, animal cruelty or neglect, animal pick‑up and confinement, and property damage complaints. You will investigate these reports of animal cruelty and vicious animals by interviewing individuals and attempt to resolve cases in an efficient and effective manner.
• Apprehending, controlling, and confining loose, unlicensed, injured, abandoned, or dangerous animals - both domestic and livestock. You will assess and evaluate the condition of animals to determine appropriate courses of action. You will make efforts to locate owners before impounding animals and if a pet owner is not known, you will transport animals to the appropriate location. You will be responsible for ensuring proper arrangements for severely injured or diseased animals, which may include authorizing euthanasia. You will be tasked with retrieving dead animals, handling animals safely and properly, administering vaccines, and following proper cleaning and sanitizing protocols.
• Managing animal bite cases to ensure proper public health notifications are made and requirements are followed.
• Mediating and helping resolve conflicts between parties involving animal issues including, but not limited to, property damage, barking, cruelty, degree of animal confinement, potential or actual danger, and injury to or by animals.

It is important that you maintain knowledge of state, local, and related animal control ordinances, methods and techniques of investigation including rules of evidence, legal process, enforcement of codes, laws of arrest, and court procedures. You will be required to understand legal liabilities and responsibilities of those involved with the enforcement of codes, laws, and regulations pertaining to animal welfare, and animal and breed identification.

This is not meant to be an all‑inclusive list. Please view the class specification for a full list of job responsibilities.

Minimum Qualifications

We are looking for candidates who:

• Have a High School Diploma or equivalent
• Are at least 21 years of age
• Have a minimum of one (1) year of experience as a Municipal or County Animal Control Officer
• Have a valid driver's license, without impending loss at time of appointment
  • If coming from out of state, you will be required to obtain a WA State driver's license within 30 days

We would LOVE it if you:

• Have graduated from the state-certified Animal Control Officer Academy (or equivalent)
  • If not already completed, you will be required to complete the Washington Animal Control Academy within six (6) months of hire.

You must receive and maintain current rabies and tetanus vaccinations while employed.

You must successfully complete a thorough background investigation, which may include a polygraph examination, psychological interview, fingerprinting, reference checks, driving abstract review, and drug screening/medical examination.

Additional Information

Why Choose the City of Auburn?

• Competitive salary with annual step increases
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employee premiums paid by the City
• Employer contributions to Washington State Department of Retirement Systems pension plans
• Paid holidays per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (13 each year)
• Tax‑free health savings account (VEBA)
• Optional flexible spending accounts
• Deferred compensation plans (pre‑tax and Roth options)
• Employee wellness programs within the department and Citywide
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION

Team Auburn values a wide range of perspectives and life experiences and believes our strength comes from the diversity of people and ideas. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals who will help us foster a workplace built on respect, collaboration, and service to the community.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)

The City of Auburn is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. No person is lawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The City of Auburn is dedicated to building an inclusive, informed city, with opportunities for all. In alignment with that goal, the City has adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers, including names, addresses, and other similar information. This eliminates the possibility of unintentional or implicit bias during the initial screening of applications. For that reason, hiring managers will not be viewing any attachments to your application, including a cover letter or resume, during the initial screening.

Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application, and thoroughly answer the supplemental questions. You must meet the minimum qualifications to move forward in the screening process.

Please note that if you are selected to move forward after an interview, a thorough background check as outlined above will be completed before a formal job appointment will be made.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY OF AUBURN

We primarily communicate via e‑mail during the recruitment process. E‑mails from auburnwa.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e‑mail folders.