Animal Intake Technician

Maricopa County; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 29,000 - 45,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition reimbursement

Work-life balance

Growth opportunities

Healthcare

Child care benefits

Paid time off

Wellness program

ASRS retirement

Job summary

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control seeks an Animal Intake Technician to guide customers through intake and diversion services and to perform the physical and medical intake of animals entering the shelter, following Fear Free and positive-reinforcement standards.

The role requires handling animals, administering vaccines, and ensuring proper kennel placement, with cross-training to support multiple areas and potential rotation between East and West Valley locations as needed.

Qualifications

• One year of experience in the care and treatment of animals at a veterinary clinic, animal hospital, or with a public or private agency
• One year of experience in customer service or administrative support
• High School Diploma or GED
• An equivalent combination of related post-secondary education and/or relevant experience may be considered in substitution for the minimum qualifications on a year-for-year basis

Responsibilities

• Perform initial intake evaluation, including reviewing animal history, performing safe animal handling, scanning for identification, documenting condition, taking identification photos, and ensuring appropriate kennel placement for animals arriving at the shelter
• Provide routine medical care, including safe animal handling, administering vaccinations, flea/tick preventatives, performing basic clinical testing (e.g., SNAP Parvo), and treatments to support animal health on animals arriving at the shelter
• Perform daily operational support tasks, including maintaining the cleanliness of intake areas, holding kennels, and shared workspaces to ensure a safe, sanitary, and efficient environment
• Provide direct customer service by assisting with intake inquiries, walk-in services, and front desk coverage as needed; guide customers through processes and ensure a positive, professional experience
• Maintain accurate and timely data entry in shelter systems (e.g., Chameleon, intake trackers), including creating and updating animal and client records and scheduling intake appointments
• Collaborate with other team members and divisions to manage intake flow, support scheduling needs, and ensure timely processing of animals entering the shelter
• Engage pet owners in diversion, and Owner Requested Euthanasia (ORE) conversations, identifying alternatives to surrender when appropriate and coordinating resources or referrals to support positive outcomes
• Involved in and may perform humane euthanasia of animals when required, in accordance with departmental policies, procedures, and established protocols

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Flexibility

Education

High School Diploma or GED

RVT, CVT, or Veterinary Assistant Certifications

Fear Free certifications

Bilingual English/Spanish (preferred)

Tools

Chameleon

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Pon t and Pay

Docupet

Job description

Posting Date

08/10/26

Application Deadline

08/16/26

Pay Range

Anticipated Hiring Range: $21.00 - $27.00 hourly

Full Pay Range: $21.00 - $33.00 hourly

Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees within the same job classification. The position is eligible for overtime compensation for all hours worked over 40 in the designated workweek.

Job Type

Unclassified

Department

Animal Care and Control

About the Position

As an Animal Intake Technician, you will play a critical role in supporting animal intake processes. This position is responsible for guiding customers through intake and diversion services and for performing the physical and medical intake of animals entering the shelter, in accordance with Fear Free and positive-reinforcement standards.

You will serve as a key point of contact for the public-conducting intake interviews, reviewing animal history, and identifying opportunities for diversion-while also safely handling animals, administering intake vaccinations, and ensuring proper kennel placement. This role requires flexibility, strong communication skills, and the ability to transition seamlessly between customer service and animal care responsibilities.

This position is cross-trained to support multiple functional areas and may rotate between East and West Valley locations as needed. This position requires the employee to be in the office/field or customer-facing for all hours worked.

About Us

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control employees are committed to animal welfare and strengthening the human-animal bond in our community, and we are always looking to add talented individuals to our team, either at our West or East Valley Animal Care Centers. As one of the nation's largest open-admission shelters, we work with our community to serve the animals and people of Maricopa County. Our adoptions, shelter, clinic, and animal services officer teams learn first-hand about proper care of homeless and stray animals and work hard to help find them new homes.

Proud to Offer

• Work with a greater purpose


• Tuition reimbursement


• Exceptional work-life balance


• Opportunities for growth and development within Maricopa County


• Low-cost, high-value healthcare for you and your qualifying dependents


• Child care benefits, including access to our on-site center,Maricopa County Kids Club, dedicated to serving Maricopa County families


• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave


• Extensive wellness program, including an incentive


• Enrollment in the Arizona State Retirement System, a defined retirement benefit requiring a 11.98% monthly contribution rate that includes a 100% employer match on Day 1

We Require

• One year of experience in the care and treatment of animals at a veterinary clinic, animal hospital, or with a public or private agency


• One year of experience in customer service or administrative support


• High School Diploma or GED


• An equivalent combination of related post-secondary education and/or relevant experience may be considered in substitution for the minimum qualifications on a year-for-year basis

Other Requirements

• Must possess, or have the ability to obtain by the time of hire, a valid Arizona driver's license and have an acceptable driving record


• Must be flexible and able to work weekends and holidays


• Must be able to safely handle animals of varying sizes, temperaments, and medical conditions


• Must complete all animal handling training within 60 days of hire


• Must be willing and able to participate on the euthanasia team as required

We Also Value

• Fear Free certifications


• Experience conducting client interviews or intake assessments


• Bilingual skills (English/Spanish)


• Experience with scheduling systems or case tracking tools


• RVT, CVT, or Veterinary Assistant Certifications

Job Contributions

• Perform initial intake evaluation, including reviewing animal history, performing safe animal handling, scanning for identification, documenting condition, taking identification photos, and ensuring appropriate kennel placement for animals arriving at the shelter


• Provide routine medical care, including safe animal handling, administering vaccinations, flea/tick preventatives, performing basic clinical testing (e.g., SNAP Parvo), and treatments to support animal health on animals arriving at the shelter


• Perform daily operational support tasks, including maintaining the cleanliness of intake areas, holding kennels, and shared workspaces to ensure a safe, sanitary, and efficient environment


• Provide direct customer service by assisting with intake inquiries, walk-in services, and front desk coverage as needed; guide customers through processes and ensure a positive, professional experience


• Maintain accurate and timely data entry in shelter systems (e.g., Chameleon, intake trackers), including creating and updating animal and client records and scheduling intake appointments


• Collaborate with other team members and divisions to manage intake flow, support scheduling needs, and ensure timely processing of animals entering the shelter


• Engage pet owners in diversion, and Owner Requested Euthanasia (ORE) conversations, identifying alternatives to surrender when appropriate and coordinating resources or referrals to support positive outcomes


• Involved in and may perform humane euthanasia of animals when required, in accordance with departmental policies, procedures, and established protocols

Working Conditions

• Work is predominantly performed in an animal shelter with exposure to extreme and varying temperatures, animals with unknown temperaments and behaviors, excessive noise, animal waste and fluids, deceased animals, cleaning chemicals, and Zoonotic Diseases. This position requires animal handling.


• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk on all types of surfaces, sometimes slippery, uneven, and/or rough, and to perform duties that require lifting, bending, and stooping.


• Work involves regular participation in animal care and control activities, including the humane euthanasia of animals, handling injured, ill, or aggressive animals, interacting with members of the public, and performing time-sensitive duties under varying stressful and high-pressure conditions


• Exerting 20-25 lbs. occasionally, 10-25 lbs. frequently, or up to 10 lbs. constantly


• Machines, Tools, Equipment, Software, and Hardware:Chameleon, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Pont and Pay, Docupet


• Personal protective equipment required as appropriate (e.g., in an isolation ward)

Selection Procedure

• Consideration will only be given to candidates who submit online applications


• Candidates will be contacted primarily through email and their Workday online application profile


• Must pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation as required by statute or policy, including drug and alcohol testing requirements for positions designated as safety-sensitive

Maricopa County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process or to perform the essential functions of the position under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact [e-mail] to initiate the interactive process.