Animal Control Deputy

About the role

The Animal Control Deputy is responsible for the effective operations of conducting animal, litter, and rabies control activities. Florence County strives to be an exceptional place to live, work, and visit by enhancing the quality of life for employees and residents, encouraging innovation and economic opportunities, and fostering trust and integrity. The County’s mission is to provide high-quality public services, plan for citizens’ needs, and promote a safe, healthy, and thriving community for all.

Responsibilities

• Patrol designated areas of Florence County in car, by foot, and other means to enforce local and state animal control laws and ordinances to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public and animals.
• Preserve law and order, discover and prevent the commission of crimes as it directly relates to the animal control function.
• Respond to calls for service issued by central dispatch as well as other calls for service on the call list.
• Investigate complaints and issue tickets/citations to offenders.
• Set traps for stray animals when citizen complaints are received.
• Check on traps that have been set to capture strays in a timely manner.
• Assist in animal cruelty investigations.
• Notify DHEC of animal bites and quarantine those animals per DHEC regulations.
• Respond to and investigate litter complaints and litter dump sites.
• Transport inmates to work area and supervise the inmates litter removal program.
• Instruct the public on the importance of rabies vaccination.
• Initiate and complete reports, legal documents, and other required paperwork; prepare a variety of reports including those on activities, operations, arrests made, and unusual incidents observed; prepare investigative reports and case information.
• Present and testify in cases before Court.
• Render First Aid and CPR to the injured as needed.
• Attend required periodic training sessions and seminars; participate in continuous training to enhance law enforcement skills including firearms proficiency, defensive driving skills, apprehension and arrest techniques, investigative skills, general law enforcement skills and animal control.
• Maintain a high personal standard of physical fitness and nutrition with an ability to respond appropriately to stressful and/or challenging situations.
• Remain abreast of all federal and state laws, and ordinances of the County of Florence.
• Maintain assigned vehicle to ensure proper care, cleaning, and maintenance.
• Perform all other related duties as required.

Qualifications

• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Must possess a valid South Carolina driver’s license at the time of hire.
• Requires a high school diploma.
• Must complete and obtain a Class III Advanced certification within one year of hire; training held at the Local Training facility in Florence County, followed by a Firearms test and cumulative test at the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia.
• Must successfully pass an extensive background investigation including a polygraph examination.
• Read and comprehend police-related technical and legal information.
• Document incidents and actions accurately, completely, and legibly using standard forms and computer software/programs.
• Communicate effectively using both spoken (in English) and non-verbal methods.
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, research, presentation, written, and oral communication skills.
• Ability and willingness to collaboratively maintain effective relationships with all types of people including office staff, supervisor, inmates, other agencies, other professions, S.C. DHEC, medical facilities, hospitals, attorneys, and community members.
• Skilled in the operation of patrol vehicles and handling firearms.
• Ability to react calmly and quickly in emergency situations.
• Follow complex rules or systems using professional literature and technical reports; or enforce laws, rules, regulations, or ordinances.
• Organized and detail‑oriented with strong accuracy for multitasking.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Software (Word, Excel, Outlook) required.
• Use computers for data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, or custom applications.
• Have a working knowledge of the laws, ordinances, standards, and regulations related to the duties and responsibilities of the position.
• Must pass the pre‑employment Physical Agility Test (PAT).
• Frequently required to perform basic physical activities and communicate effectively to carry out essential job duties.
• Must be able to reach, bend, stoop,