Animal Control Deputy

General Summary

Under direction, responsible for safeguarding the health and safety of residents, ensuring the humane treatment of animals, and promoting responsible pet ownership through public education. Enforces local, state, and federal laws and ordinances concerning the care, treatment, selling, licensing and impounding of animals. Handles a wide variety of animals, including domestic pets, wildlife, livestock, dogs, cats, raccoons, skunks, birds of prey, and more.

Responsibilities

• Patrols assigned County areas for stray animals and disposes of deceased animals.
• Investigates animal bites, cruelty, and other complaints and issues citations, warnings, and warrants.
• Prepares investigative reports that may be introduced as legal court evidence.
• Appears for scheduled court dates and testifies regarding civil infractions, misdemeanors, and felony charges.
• Identifies impounded animals and prepares daily impounding slips.
• Performs humane euthanasia and prepares animals for rabies testing.
• Provides care for animals according to established schedules and procedures.
• Maintains logs and activity reports on a daily basis.
• Performs inspections of kennels, horseback riding stables, and pet stores.
• Transports animals for veterinary procedures.
• Handles various types of animals including but not limited to domestic, wild, farm and livestock animals that are living or deceased.
• Assists the public in the field and at the Animal Control facility with questions regarding animal care, laws, ordinances and regulations.
• Sanitizes and maintains animal cages, kennels, pens and yards and reports any problems.
• Inspects and sanitizes department vehicles and equipment daily and reports any problems.
• Required to travel to attend mandatory training, conferences, or other events.
• Works a flexible schedule as determined by operation demands, participates in on-call rotations and mandatory overtime, including weekends and holidays.
• Operates an assigned County vehicle to perform assigned duties.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or certificate of successful completion of the General Educational Development Test.
• Possession of a valid Michigan driver's license and an operable insured automobile for authorized travel.
• As a condition of employment, must obtain certification by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as an Animal Control Deputy within probationary period.
• As a condition of employment, must obtain certification in performing euthanasia and tranquilization techniques within probationary period.
• As a condition of employment, certification in Level 1 and Level 2 from the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) or University of Missouri must be successfully completed within eighteen (18) months from date-of-hire.
• Previous animal control experience preferred.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Animal health and wellbeing.
• Law enforcement techniques, principles, and practices.
• Local, state, and federal animal laws.
• Basic court procedures.
• Handling and caring for animals.
• Animal euthanasia methods.
• Tranquilization medications, methods, and techniques.
• Exemplary verbal and written communication.
• Active listening.
• Physical agility and stamina.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Critical thinking.
• Emotional intelligence.
• Service orientation.
• Public speaking.
• Self-motivation.
• A team-oriented approach.
• Making sound decisions while under pressure in the field.
• Foster a strong commitment to animal welfare.
• Determine breeds, species, sex and age of animals.
• Recognize signs of animal illness, neglect, abuse and cruelty.
• Restrain and capture animals and the ability to interpret animal body language.
• Comply with laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Follow orders of lead deputies.
• Maintain composure under stressful situations.
• Adapt behavior or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions or unexpected situations.
• Work in an environment which embraces the county's Dignity Campaign.
• Effectively speak, write and understand the English language.
• Effectively speak, write and understand a language other than English is preferred.
• Understand and carry out oral and/or written instructions.
• Accurately organize and maintain paper documents and electronic files.
• Maintain the confidentiality of information and professional boundaries.
• Work independently.

Pay and Schedule

• Salary: $50,007.10 - $64,680.01
• Full-time (40 hours per week) position. Starting time currently 8:00 a.m., with nights/weekends/holidays as needed based on operations.
• FLSA status: Non-exempt - overtime pursuant to Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Employment relationship: Just cause subject to probationary period.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with no monthly premium to employees for single, two-person or family coverage.
• Health care, dental and vision benefits effective the first day of employment.

Work Environment

• Office or similar indoor environment: Occasionally
• Outdoor environment: Frequently/Continuously
• Street environment (near moving traffic): Frequently/Continuously
• Construction site: Occasionally
• Confined space: Occasionally
• Individuals who are hostile or irate: Frequently/Continuously
• Individuals with known violent backgrounds: Frequently/Continuously
• Extreme cold (below 32 degrees): Frequently/Continuously
• Extreme heat (above 100 degrees): Frequently/Continuously
• Communicable diseases: Frequently/Continuously
• Moving mechanical parts: Occasionally
• Fumes or airborne particles: Occasionally
• Toxic or caustic chemicals, substances, or waste: Occasionally
• Loud noises (85+ decibels): Occasionally
• Blood Borne Pathogens: Frequently/Continuously

Physical Demands

• Balancing on even or uneven surfaces/ground: Occasionally
• Bending (forward or backward bending at the waist): Frequently/Continuously
• Climbing up or down stairs, ladders, scaffolding and platforms: Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees): Occasionally
• Inspecting in confined spaces: Occasionally
• Digging: Occasionally
• Driving on sealed and unsealed roads: Frequently/Continuously
• Grasping, gripping, holding, clasping with fingers or hands: Frequently/Continuously
• Kneeling to work at low levels: Frequently/Continuously
• Manual Dexterity (fine finger movements i.e., keyboard operating, writing): Frequently/Continuously
• Lift/Carry/Move objects from one level/position to another: Frequently/Continuously
• Up to 10 pounds: Frequently/Continuously
• Up to 50 pounds: Frequently/Continuously
• More than 50 pounds: Frequently/Continuously
• Over 100 pounds: Frequently/Continuously
• Push/Pull objects away from or towards the body: Frequently/Continuously
• Reaching overhead (arms raised above the shoulder) or forward reaching (arms extended): Frequently/Continuously
• Sitting in a seated position during the task performance: Frequently/Continuously
• Standing in an upright position without movement: Occasionally
• Walking considerable distances in the facility on multiple surfaces: Frequently/Continuously
• Running considerable distances in the facility on multiple surfaces: Frequently/Continuously