Shelter Animal Health Specialist

ST MARYS COUNTY GOVERNMENT; California (MD); On-site; USD 59,000 - 102,000; Full time

Job summary

ST MARYS COUNTY GOVERNMENT is seeking an Animal Shelter Technician to provide routine paramedical care, intake examinations, and animal management within the county shelter. You will document conditions, photograph animals for files, and place IDs for tracking while coordinating with Animal Control and shelter staff.

Responsibilities include disease screening, owner outreach for redemption, and maintaining medical logs, inventories, and shelter health.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED or equivalent.
• Three years of direct professional animal handling experience.
• Any combination of education, training and experience that provides the above knowledges, abilities and skills may be substituted on a full-time year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

• Examine and document intake conditions of incoming animals (physical condition, treatment needs, temperament, housing).
• Photograph every animal for the file and owner identification.
• Place identification on incoming animals to track them in shelter.
• Perform routine tests to detect disease at intake or pre-adoption screening.
• Receive animals and separate those with signs of rabies or disease for observation.

Skills

Animal care

Safety awareness

Computer skills

Record keeping

Communication

Public interaction

Education

High school diploma or GED

Three years animal handling experience

Vet tech license preferred

Tools

Animal management software

MS Office

Job description

Provides routine paramedical treatment to animals in the County Animal Shelter. Cares for, places, or determines dispositions of animals, maintains kennels in a sanitary condition, and performs related duties as required.

The hiring salary for this position is $59,114 annually.

1. Examines and documents, at the time of intake, the condition of incoming animals to include, physical condition, the need for veterinary treatment, behavioral temperament, and housing location within shelter;
2. Photographs every animal for animal file and owner identification;
3. Places identification on incoming animals to track them while in the shelter;
4. Performs routine tests to determine the presence of suspected disease at the time of intake or the screening of animals prior to adoption;
5. Receives animals and separates for observation all animals that show signs of rabies or other diseases;
6. Checks every incoming animal against lost and found reports submitted to the Animal Shelter;
7. Thoroughly examines incoming animals for any type of owner identification to include checking for tattoos, microchips, and tags.
8. Investigates ownership and immediately attempts to contact the owner of the animal by phone and/or email to allow for animal redemption as quickly as possible;
9. Works with Animal Control Officers to coordinate the posting of properties to contact owners of animals in the shelter;
10. Inspects and documents the condition of shelter animals on a daily basis documenting abnormality in diet, temperament, or physical condition;
11. Make decisions for housing location changes or referring to veterinarian for treatment when daily observations and exams determine necessity;
12. Coordinates with the Animal Shelter Operations Supervisor to provide care to animals by a Veterinarian when necessary;
13. Provides health care to animals held at the animal shelter and renders emergency care within the scope of duties as directed by a veterinarian;
14. Ensures adherence to procedures and substances protocols, for the injection and the subsequent removal of animals for purposes of euthanasia;
15. Maintains State and Federal mandated medical logs and prepares medication for use;
16. Maintains inventory of and conducts or allows inventory inspections of all pharmaceuticals, equipment, and supplies;
17. Writes intake reports for animals evaluated that could be or are part of animal cruelty investigations;
18. Completes forensic style photographs for use in potential animal cruelty investigations;
19. Counsels individuals and provide resource information to owners in order to keep pets in the home of owners wishing to surrender their animals to the shelter;
20. Works with Animal Shelter Operations Supervisor and the Volunteer Coordinator to determine animal pathways through the shelter to prevent unnecessary long-term housing of animals;
21. Oversees trustees from inmate work detail and participates in maintaining sanitary kennels and shelter facilities;
22. Acts as Animal Shelter Operations Supervisor in their absence;
23. Performs other duties as assigned.

1. Knowledge of modern principles, practices and techniques of the clinical care of animals;
2. Knowledge of hazards and safety practices involved in dealing with animals;
3. Knowledge of computer applications, such as animal management software and Microsoft Office Suite;
4. Ability to determine animal requirements by conducting examinations and interviews;
5. Ability to maintain animal records by documenting animal conditions, treatment, reactions, and changes.
6. Ability to maintain a safe, secure, healthy, and humane environment.
7. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those encountered in the work including County officials and employees, animal owners, and the public;
8. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing;
9. Ability to deal effectively with the public.

1. High school diploma or GED equivalent;
2. Three years of direct professional animal handling experience in a veterinary facility or animal shelter;
3. Any acceptable combination of education, training and relevant experience that provides the above knowledges, abilities and skills may be substituted on a full-time year for year basis.

Additional Requirements:

1. Must possess a valid Maryland Driver’s Licenses;
2. Must be 18 years of age;
3. Subject to call-back in emergency situations;
4. Ability to safely operate a County owned vehicle;
5. Must be able to obtain Certification in Humane Euthanasia at County Expense within six (6) months of hire;
6. License Veterinary Technician preferred;
7. Obtain a pre-exposure rabies vaccinations upon hire;
8. Negative drug screen;
9. Successfully pass a physical, hearing and vision exam;
10. Successfully pass a psychological fitness examination with favorable results;
11. Successfully pass extensive background investigation with favorable results.
12. Position is classified as safety-sensitive and shall be subject to random drug and alcohol
    testing.

Physical and Environmental Conditions:
Ability to control, lift and carry animals handled at the facility; requires long periods of standing, frequent walking indoors, repeated bending, crouching, stooping, stretching or reaching; recurring lifting of objects up to 50 pounds and handle dogs weighing up to 200 lbs.; operation of keyboard devices; work may be physically or emotionally demanding.

Also, workers are exposed to hazards of dealing with dangerous, frightened, or diseased animals, and exposure to cleaning and disinfecting agents.
Requires working non-standard schedules including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Workers must be willing to assist in euthanasia procedures (the humane destruction of animals).
Requires call-back and working during emergency weather events or other emergency situations that close the shelter and require the operation of an emergency pet shelter.
Work is subject to frequent interruptions.


Full salary range for this position is $59,114 - $101,691 annually. The full salary range does not reflect the anticipated hiring salary for this position. The anticipated hiring range is $59,114annually.