Shelter Technician

Rockingham-County,-Nc; North Carolina; On-site; USD 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Medical, Dental, Vision & Life

Onsite wellness/medical clinic

Onsite fitness center

Retirement

Flexible Spending

Paid Vacation, Sick & Holidays

Bereavement

Community Service Leave

Weekends Off (varies by position)

Flexible Work Schedules & Telework (if

Tuition Reimbursement

401-K & 457 Plans

Job summary

Rockingham County is seeking a Shelter Technician to care for animals in the county shelter. The role includes feeding, vaccinating, keeping enclosures clean, and reporting health changes to the Shelter Manager. Duties also cover intake from Animal Control, adoptions, and potential euthanasia under state certification.

The position requires working weekends/holidays and may involve lifting heavy loads. Qualifications include a high school diploma or GED and one year of related experience; NC CRV

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED and 1 year of experience in animal sheltering, veterinary practice, or boarding facility.
• Must be North Carolina Certified Rabies Vaccinator (CRV) or obtain within 60 days of employment.
• Certified Euthanasia Technician (CET) certification must be transferred to Rockingham County within 30 days or a new CET within 90 days.
• Vaccination of animals and participation in rabies clinics.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and work weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Maintain feeding schedule for shelter animals, provide water, and ensure proper sanitation of enclosures.
• Clean and disinfect enclosures; perform laundry, sweeping, mopping.
• Review medication charts; administer medications and monitor response with Shelter Manager.
• Process intake of animals from Animal Control and the public.
• Provide vaccinations and perform blood draws; handle animals safely.
• Evaluate animals for adoption.
• Perform euthanasia; maintain accurate drug logs and controlled substance knowledge.
• Use safety equipment as required.
• Assist in rabies clinics.
• Handle cash transactions during adoptions.
• Perform related duties and ensure safety of animals, staff, and public.

Skills

Animal care and handling

Vaccination administration

Rabies vaccination (CRV)

Intake and adoption processes

Data entry/record-keeping

Cash handling

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Data management software

Job description

Rockingham County is an equal opportunity employer and will comply with federal and state statutes regarding discrimination in employment.

A Shelter Technician provides for the well-being and care of the animals. Work requires that the employee keep animal enclosures clean and sanitized thoroughly twice a day, along with feeding the animals in the shelter’s care and providing vaccinations and medications. This employee helps to ensure the health of the animals by reporting any change in an animal’s overall health or behavior to the Shelter Manager. Shelter Technicians perform the intake for all animals, adoptions, return animals to their owners, as well as performing euthanasia.

Distinguishing Features of the Class:

An employee in this class is responsible for the feeding and the daily care of the animals while maintaining a clean environment to keep the animals that stay at the shelter healthy. Shelter Technicians are responsible for the overall health of the animals in their care, reporting any changes in health or behavior to the Shelter Manager. This employee makes the animal’s medication charts and is responsible for keeping animals up-to-date on their vaccinations. All Shelter Technicians are certified to give rabies vaccinations for Rockingham County. Additional duties include the intake of animals from Animal Control and the public. The intake process consists of data entry into the shelter’s data management software, providing vaccinations on intake, scanning animals for microchips and safely handling the animal. Shelter Technicians are skilled in animal handling and restraint and proficient with blood draw. Employees also work directly with the public during the adoption process, returning animals to their owners, evaluating animals for outside agencies and handling cash transactions. Shelter Technicians preform euthanasia as they are certified by the State of North Carolina through the NC Department of Agriculture. Some risk is associated with this position due to the handling of vicious animals, potential rabid animals, zoonotic diseases and heavy lifting. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Shelter Manager and work is evaluated through conferences and by inspection. This position is for full-time employment of 40 hours weekly. The employee must be able to work weekends and holidays.

• Paid Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance
• Onsite wellness/medical clinic
• Onsite fitness center
• Retirement
• Flexible Spending
• Paid Vacation, Sick & Holidays
• Bereavement
• Community Service Leave
• Weekends Off (varies by position)
• Flexible Work Schedules & Telework Options (varies by position)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• 401-K & 457 Plans

Examples of Duties:

• Maintains the feeding schedule for the animals at the shelter; this includes feeding the appropriate amount of food for a variety of different sized animals, providing clean drinking water and washing all dishes associated with feedings.
• Maintains cleanliness of the shelter by removing organic matter and disinfecting the enclosures. This also includes laundry, sweeping and moping.
• Spot cleans throughout the day to keep enclosures clean and odor free.
• Reviews medication charts, administers medications and evaluates the animals’ improvement working with the Shelter Manager on a treatment plan.
• Performs the intake process of incoming animals from Animal Control agencies and the general public.
• Provides vaccinations, proficient in blood draw and animal handling.
• Evaluates animals for adoption.
• Performs euthanasia, keeps accurate drug logs, and thorough knowledge of the controlled substances used for euthanasia.
• Uses appropriate safety equipment, when needed.
• Participates in rabies clinics
• Performs related work as required.
• Ensures safety of animal, oneself, and fellow coworkers as top priority when dealing with animal handling, transporting, vaccinating, euthanizing or sending an animal back into community via adoption, owner claim or with transfer partners.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Working knowledge of how to care for animals (i.e. feeding, watering, cleaning and handling).

Working knowledge of how to handle a variety of animal species and sizes (i.e. lead, carry and restrain).

Working knowledge of safe procedures for handling animals.

Working knowledge of state and local animal control laws, policies and procedures and knowledge of public health rabies laws.

Working knowledge of County and department policies and procedures.

Ability to properly use cleaning supplies and equipment.

Ability to operate a computer or related software.

Ability to use courtesy and tact in dealing with the public and outside agencies.

Ability to communicate effectively with co-workers orally and in writing.

Ability to promote a positive team atmosphere and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers and volunteers.

Ability to stand/walk for 6 to 8 hours.

Ability to work weekends and holidays.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the regular exertion of up to 10 pounds of force, frequent exertion of up to 50 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 100 pounds of force; work regularly requires standing, walking, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and reaching with hands and arms, frequently requires stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, pushing or pulling, lifting and repetitive motions and occasionally requires sitting, climbing or balancing and smelling; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, using of measuring devices, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work frequently requires exposure to wet, humid conditions (non-weather) and occasionally requires working near moving mechanical parts, working in high, precarious places, exposure to fumes or airborne particles and exposure to the risk of electrical shock; work is generally in a loud noise location (e.g. grounds maintenance, heavy traffic).

Graduation from high school or GED and one year of experience in either animal sheltering and/or a veterinary practice and/or a boarding facility; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Special Requirements:

North Carolina Class C Driver’s License

Certified Rabies Vaccinator (CRV) for the State of North Carolina or must receive within the first 60 days of employment.

Certified Euthanasia Technician (CET) certification must be transferred to Rockingham County within the first 30-days of employment or a new certification must be within the first 90 days of employment.

Vaccinated for the rabies virus or must receive the vaccination within the first six months of employment.

Note: In accordance with State mandates and the Rockingham County Emergency Operations Plan, Rockingham County Health and Human Services staff from the Divisions of Social Services, Public Health and Integrated Health are required to staff emergency shelters during times of disaster. Please be advised that every staff person is eligible to be assigned to an emergency shelter or Emergency Operations Center.

This posting is continuous and will remain posted to fill vacancies as they become available. Applicants that apply to this posting will be considered for any vacancies of this type and will only need to apply once.