Kennel Support Staff - Animal Control

St. Joseph County; Sherman Township (MI); On-site; USD 23,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

St. Joseph County is seeking a part-time Kennel Support Staff to maintain clean kennels and shelter facilities, feed and water animals, assist with adoptions, and perform related office tasks.

The role requires a high school diploma, at least one year of general maintenance experience, and a valid driver’s license. Applicants will support animal health monitoring, paperwork, and daily operations, including transport and occasional euthanasia assistance.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required.
• One year of general maintenance experience required; animal care experience desirable.
• Valid Vehicle Operator’s License and ability to use MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Clean and sanitize kennels and shelter to promote animal health.
• Feed and water animals daily and monitor health and temperament.
• Assist with adoptions and maintain adoption records and paperwork.
• Assist in animal disposal and euthanasia as needed.
• Maintain inventory of supplies and communicate orders.
• Assist front counter and support documentation for booked/adopted animals.
• Handle transport of animals and clean transport vehicle.

Skills

MS Word

MS Excel

Attention to detail

Lifting capability

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

Office Software

Job description

Wage Scale Wage Range $16.55-$21.54 per hour (2026 Wage Scale). Based on experience.

General Summary:

Under the direction of the Animal Control Officer/Facility Supervisor, is responsible for the cleaning of animal kennels, the feeding and watering of animals and maintaining the shelter for optimal health. Assists with adoptions and office tasks, animal disposal and other maintenance duties.

Essential Functions:

• Maintains the well-being of the animals and the cleanliness of the kennels and shelter to ensure optimal health and the prevention of the spread of diseases.
• Feeds and waters animals daily, along with cleaning and sanitizing the shelter, including possibly during holidays and weekends.
• Interacts with each animal to aid in socialization as well as monitoring and documenting their physical and mental health and temperament for adoption.
• Communicates any medical changes to proper personnel and administers medicine as needed.
• Shows animals that are available for adoption at the shelter. Provides follow-up on adopted animals as needed.
• Assists in the disposal of animals that have been euthanized or tested for rabies. Assists in euthanizing animals.
• Provides assistance to the front counter as needed. Assures that animals brought to the shelter for adoption are properly documented. Fills in paperwork on the computer for booked-in and adopted animals.
• Tracks inventory of supplies and communicates to proper personnel when orders are needed.
• Removes animals when brought in from the transport vehicle. Cleans the transport vehicle as needed.
• Performs other duties as directed.

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the above tasks. (These examples do not include all of the tasks which the employees may be expected to perform.)

Position Requirements

Employment Qualifications:

Education:

A high school diploma is required.

Experience:

One year of previous experience in general maintenance is required. Previous experience in animal care is highly desirable.

Other Requirements:

A Valid Vehicle Operator’s License.

Some experience with Microsoft Office Suite applications such as Word and Excel and the ability to learn data entry on department-specific software.

The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.

Physical Requirements:

(This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in this description. These include, but are not limited to, the following requirements. Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements):

Ability to use a keyboard to enter and retrieve information from a computer.

Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Physical condition required to clean and maintain facilities and lift heavy objects and animals.

Working Conditions:

Exposure to the risk of being bitten by animals and exposure to communicable diseases.

Exposure to high levels of noise and the odor of impounded animals.

Full-Time/Part-Time Part-Time

Shift Various Shifts

Position Kennel Support Staff - Animal Control

Exempt/Non-Exempt Non-Exempt

Open Date 11/6/2026

Location St. Joseph County Animal Control

About the Organization

The mission of St. Joseph County Government is to provide efficient, dependable services while fostering public trust through collaboration, accountability, and long-term stewardship of county resources. By leading with integrity, St. Joseph County seeks to shape a future that preserves trust, strengthens responsibility, and inspires pride across generations.

St. Joseph County Government as stewards of people and resources promotes equal opportunity for all, and hereby encourages the talents, creativity and leadership of all County employees in striving for prompt, courteous, respectful and efficient delivery of services.

St. Joseph County provides an excellent benefit package. This includes health, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability insurance. We also offer a very generous sick and vacation package as well as paid holidays for eligible positions. Pension plans and additional retirement options are also available to eligible employees.

EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position is currently accepting applications.