Animal Care Assistant

About the role

The Animal Care Assistant performs responsible animal care and animal services maintenance work at a large animal control shelter operation. They care for impounded animals, assist the public on animal control-related matters, feed and observe the condition of animals held in the kennel, implement and follow through with sanitary policies, assist veterinary technicians, perform euthanasia tasks, check for licensing and inoculation of animals, record animal history, weight, food intake, and license tags, microchips, or vaccination/license tags, prepare animals for surgery, do post-surgery examinations, assist with euthanasia and cremation processes, clean and sterilize operating room, instruments, and equipment, prepare dead animals for delivery to Health Department for laboratory analysis, feed and water animals, clean and disinfect cages, pens and walking yards, inspect animals for signs of illness and/or injuries, report health problems to supervisor or medical personnel, assist veterinary staff in screening animals for adoption, transport animals, respond to in-person or telephone requests for information, perform custodial and housekeeping tasks, preventative maintenance, and equipment repair.

Responsibilities

• Care for impounded animals
• Assist veterinary staff with medical procedures
• Maintain sanitary conditions
• Provide information to the public regarding animal services
• Perform euthanasia tasks
• Check for licensing and inoculation of animals
• Record animal history, weight, food intake, and license tags, microchips, or vaccination/license tags
• Prepare animals for surgery
• Do post-surgery examinations
• Absorb dead animals for delivery to Health Department for laboratory analysis
• Feed and water animals
• Clean and disinfect cages, pens and walking yards
• Inspect animals for signs of illness and/or injuries
• Report health problems to supervisor or medical personnel
• Absorb screening animals for adoption
• Transport animals
• Respond to in-person or telephone requests for information
• Perform custodial and housekeeping tasks
• Preventative maintenance and equipment repair
• Perform related work as assigned or required

Requirements

Graduation from high school or possession of GED Certificate
At least 1 year of animal care/training or coursework in veterinary technology; or An equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.

Qualifications

Physical strength and agility to lift heavy animals, equipment, and supplies up to 50 pounds on a frequent basis.
Ability to take animals on walks and be on feet for long periods of time.
Exposure to personal risk during assignments causing periodic contact with hostile or diseased animals.
Possession of State Euthanasia Certification; or equivalent credentials recognized by the Florida Animal Control Association with 6 months of hire.

Skills

• Animal care
• Animal handling
• Sanitation
• Euthanasia assistance
• Veterinary assistance
• Record keeping
• Customer service
• Facility maintenance
• Equipment repair
• Animal restraint
• Surgical preparation
• Post-surgery examination
• Cremation processes
• Inoculation verification

Benefits

Looking for a strong retirement? We have you covered as members of the Florida Retirement System (FRS) with investment and pension options.
We have deferred compensation programs and wellness centers to name a few perks.

Pay

Salary: 0.0

Schedule

Work Schedule: Shift work including weekends, holidays and disaster periods. Monday - Friday, 6:30 AM - 3:00 PM, with a late shift of 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, weekends and holidays are 5:30 AM to 2:00 PM.