Animal Control Officer

General Purpose

Animal control officers maintain public safety by enforcing animal licensing laws and humane care regulations while on patrol. Working as an animal control officer can be both challenging and rewarding, and it requires handling all kinds of animals, from pets to wildlife.

Supervision

Reports to the Animal Control Supervisor. Exercises autonomy and sound judgement over tasks as assigned.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

The job generally requires the ability to perform the following duties:

• Capturing and impounding dangerous or stray animals
• Investigating cases of animal cruelty
• Enforcing licensing laws and other state, county, and city laws and regulations that are applicable to the animal control program
• Providing expert testimony in court cases
• Rescuing trapped animals
• Writing incident reports
• Providing humane care to animals under their supervision
• Interacting frequently with members of the public while on duty
• Issuing citations and warnings to people for mistreatment of animals in their care
• Removing animals from a negligent owner's custody
• Providing educational seminars to the community on topics such as animal welfare and animal-related laws
• Relocating wildlife that have been displaced because of habitat loss or that have come into neighborhoods in search of food and shelter

Minimum Qualifications

To pursue a career as an animal control officer, applicants must be at least 18 years of age with a high school diploma or GED and some experience with animals. High school Diploma or GED required. Experience with animals and a college degree preferred. Or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of a wide variety of animal species, animal first aid, animal care and nutrition, humane capture tools and techniques, animal behavior, public relations, cruelty investigation procedures, and law enforcement
• Ability to deal with strays or abandoned animals
• Ability to investigate and rescue animals in fight rings, including taking animals involved in fighting and baiting animals away from the environment and into a safe place
• Taking adequate safety precautions when working in potentially dangerous situations with unfamiliar and unpredictable animals (high potential for injury when attempting to capture an animal under stress)
• Emotional stability: ability to work with emotions that arise when encountering neglected, abused, or injured animals in order to effectively assist them
• Interpersonal skills: ability to skillfully navigate difficult situations with the public
• Physical agility and stamina: ability to work on feet for long periods, bend, stretch, climb under or over obstacles, and safely handle frightened or aggressive animals

Special Requirements

Working hours can be irregular. Most animal control officers are required to be "on-call" for emergency situations on some nights, weekends, and holidays. All candidates with job offer are required to complete a pre-employment drug screening, background check, physical and psychological examination.