Animal Control Officer

The City of Fort Worth; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

11 Paid Holidays

Medical, Dental, Vision

Paid Time Off

Pension Plan

Professional Development Opportunities

Job summary

The City of Fort Worth is seeking an Animal Control Officer to join the Code Compliance Department—Animal Care and Control Division. You will patrol assigned areas, respond to animal-related complaints, and enforce laws governing animal care and control.

Training and certification support is available as you develop in a dynamic city role. Ideal candidates have a high school diploma, Texas driver license, and a basic Animal Control Officer certification; bilingual skills are a plus.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• One (1) year of increasingly responsible experience in animal care control and/or animal welfare.
• Valid Texas Driver License.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an Animal Control Officer Basic Certification through the Texas Department of State Health Services.
• Candidate selected for hire must pass Pre-Employment Drug Screen, Physical and Criminal Background check.

Responsibilities

• Responding to complaints and patrolling in assigned geographic areas for stray, sick, injured, aggressive, unwanted or abandoned animals in addition to impoundment of stray and wild animals.
• Perform public education and enforcement of State, County and City laws concerning care, treatment and control of owned animals.
• Conduct preliminary investigations on reports of Bites, Cruelty and Dangerous or Aggressive animals.
• Assist Code Compliance, Police Department, Fire Department and Med Star on animal calls.
• Issue notices and citations for violations of city ordinances and testify in court on animal cases.

Skills

Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Job description

Job Posting Closing on: Saturday, September 19, 2026

Workdays & Hours: Rotating work schedule, including overnights and holidays; Some evening/weekend work required.

Benefits for this position include: 11 Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off, Pension Plan, Professional Development Opportunities.

The City of Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing large cities in the U.S. Our employees serve the needs of over 1,000,000 residents, promoting our values of exceptional customer experience, mutual respect, embracing our diversity, continuous improvement, ethical behavior, and accountability.

An Animal Control Officer Position is available with The City of Fort Worth Code Compliance Department – Animal Care and Control Division. If you enjoy working with animals and have a desire to learn how to achieve your true potential, our team is seeking positive, customer-oriented individuals to train in an exciting career as Animal Control Officer.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or
• One (1) year of increasingly responsible experience in animal care control and/or animal welfare
• Valid Texas Driver License
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an Animal Control Officer Basic Certification through the Texas Department of State Health Services
• Candidate selected for hire must pass Pre-Employment Drug Screen, Physical and Criminal Background check

Preferred Qualifications:

• Possession of or ability to obtain Euthanasia Certificate
• Microsoft Word, Excel and data entry experience
• Extensive public contact work experience
• Bilingual skills (English/Spanish)
• The two-way radio experience is a plus

The Animal Control Officer job responsibilities include:

• Responding to complaints and patrolling in assigned geographic areas for stray, sick, injured, aggressive, unwanted or abandoned animals in addition to impoundment of stray and wild animals
• Perform public education and enforcement of State, County and City laws concerning care, treatment and control of owned animals
• Conduct preliminary investigations on reports of Bites, Cruelty and Dangerous or Aggressive animals
• Assist Code Compliance, Police Department, Fire Department and Med Star on animal calls
• Issue notices and citations for violations of city ordinances and testify in court on animal cases

Working Conditions and Physical Demand

Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically require touching, talking, hearing, seeing, grasping, standing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, walking, repetitive motions, climbing, balancing, pushing, pulling, and lifting, depending on assignment.

Incumbents may be exposed to moving mechanical parts, odors, dust, poor ventilation, chemicals, oils, extreme temperatures, inadequate lighting, intense noises, gases, vibrations, chemicals, oils, and workspace restrictions.

Heavy Work – Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly having to move objects.

Conditions of Employment

The City of Fort Worth is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of the City to recruit, hire, train and promote a diverse workforce without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or another non‑merit factor.

The City of Fort Worth is committed to full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.

Candidates who do not meet the Education requirement, may be considered if they have more relevant work experience than the position requires. Those selected for employment will be required to pass Pre-Employment checks depending on the position requirements. Those could include, but are not limited to: criminal background check, drug screen, education verification, etc. criminal convictions will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis. Employees are paid by direct deposit only.