Animal Control Shelter Assistant

Spotsylvania County; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office Animal Shelter is seeking a dedicated staff member to perform a blend of technical and custodial duties to support daily operations. Responsibilities include cleaning cages and facility areas, feeding and caring for animals, recording activities, and assisting with intake documentation and customer interactions.

The role requires a high school diploma or equivalent and at least six months of experience with animals or related cleaning tasks.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of animal handling procedures and safety precautions.
• Experience cleaning or handling domestic animals preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Responsibilities

• Clean and disinfect shelter cages, equipment and structures.
• Care for animals, administer medications, feed and clean as needed.
• Euthanize animals when necessary and handle related equipment and disposal.

Skills

Animal handling

Cleaning

Communication skills

Record keeping

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Under general supervision, performs a combination of technical and custodial duties in support of the Sheriff's Office Animal Shelter's operations. Duties include cleaning and maintaining shelter cages and facility structures; caring for animals, euthanizing animals when necessary; and recording information and activities.

• Cleans and disinfects the pound, its cages, equipment and structures. Ensures facility is neat, orderly and clean.
• Handles and cares for animals to include administering drugs, feeding and cleaning when appropriate.
• Euthanizes animals when necessary.
• Cleans equipment and supplies used in euthanizing process; and disposes of animal bodies.
• Answers the telephone and takes messages or answers caller's question.
• Completes a variety of records and administrative documents to include recording complaints from citizens; completing records of drug dosages and administration; completing bite reports; temperature logs, etc.
• Monitors inventory of cleaning supplies and orders supplies as needed.
• Assists in providing medication and testing to sick and injured animals as needed
• Processes pet adoptions applications and contracts.
• Greets customers and provides intake document.
• Performs other related duties as required.

High School Diploma or equivalent and six (6) months experience cleaning or handling domestic animals; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Must possess and maintain a valid Virginia driver's license.

Must achieve and maintain Euthanasia certification.

• Knowledge of animal handling procedures and safety precautions; of cleaning techniques; of methods used to administer drugs to animals; and of animal control ordinances.
• Is skilled in the use of animal control equipment and cleaning equipment.
• Ability to exercise good judgment in handling animals in the shelter.
• Ability to understand and follow written and oral instructions; and to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to exercise tact, courtesy and firmness in contacts with County personnel, other agencies and local organizations, and the general public.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
• Ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving directions and assignments from immediate supervisor.
• Ability to read cleaning instructions and cleaning chemical labels; operating procedures, drug manuals and instructions, and related animal control references, rules and regulations.
• Ability to prepare records of work activities, supply orders, general correspondence, etc. using prescribed formats.
• Ability to apply rational systems to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form.
• Ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in animal control enforcement terminology.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract totals; to multiply and divide.
• Ability to handle a variety of items, animal control equipment, control knobs, switches, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
• Ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instruction.
• Ability to be adaptable to performing under varying levels of stress.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to physically handle animals and animal control equipment. Must be able to use cleaning equipment and euthanizing equipment. Must be able to exert up to 75 pounds of force occasionally, up 25 pounds of force frequently and up to 10 pounds of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects and/or animals. Physical demands are for light work. Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape. Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using animal control equipment and cleaning equipment. Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of colors. Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken works. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone.