Animal Control Officer

About the role

Join Missoula County in making a meaningful impact, where your work supports our vibrant community, promotes public service, and contributes to a better future for all.

Responsibilities

• Responds to calls for assistance regarding animal control issues from the public and law enforcement agencies.
• Captures and removes stray, uncontrolled or abused animals.
• Drives animal control service vehicles to transport animals to and from the shelter and veterinarian offices.
• Responds to and investigates violations of animal control and garbage ordinances and issues warnings or citations.
• Patrols designated areas in vehicle, on foot and on bicycle.
• Issues temporary licenses.
• Investigates reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviews witnesses, collects evidence, writes reports; makes court appearances to serve as a witness as required.
• Investigates animal bites; captures rabid animals and follows protocol for rabies quarantines.
• Examines animals for injuries, malnutrition or disease; administers first aid and arranges for any necessary medical treatment.
• Educates the public regarding complying with ordinances and prepares and delivers public education presentations on animal control topics.
• Authorizes euthanasia of animals for humane or public safety reasons; transports animals for euthanasia and disposes of dead animals.
• Communicates with owners of animals.
• Assists shelter attendants with dispatching, animal care and feeding, impounding, releasing, kennel cleaning and maintenance, euthanasia, adopting, licensing, medicating and immunizing animals.
• Maintains activity logs and other records.
• Maintains Animal Control vehicle and equipment.
• Participates in quality improvement projects and strategic work plans.
• Works within the incident command structure during emergencies.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Requires one year of experience that may include time working with: animal control; animal care, handling or treatment; animal research; or law enforcement.
• New employees will be asked to volunteer vaccination status and communicable disease testing for required vaccines upon hire and will be offered assistance during hiring to receive necessary immunizations.
• Employees who have not received the vaccines required for their positions or who are unwilling to voluntarily provide vaccination status for required vaccines will receive a reasonable accommodation where such accommodation does not require an undue hardship or endanger the health or safety of any person.
• Requires a current MT driver’s license.

Physical/Environmental Demands

• Requires driving a county vehicle, riding a bicycle, and patrolling on foot.
• Requires capturing and transporting animals which may be injured, fearful, or vicious.
• Requires occasional heavy lifting (up to 100 lbs.), bending, crouching, and crawling in restricted space.
• Requires travel to private property or residences; requires exposure to hostile people.
• May involve exposure to animal bites, blood or body fluids; may require defending oneself against physical attack.
• Requires the use of protective clothing or gear.
• Requires working weekend and evening hours and occasional work on holidays; or serving in an on-call capacity.
• Requires performing work out of doors and may involve exposure to extreme weather and hazardous driving conditions.

Pay

$24.74 per hour