Animal Control Officer

T he Job

Carteret County Government is seeking an Animal Control Officer to join the team. Do you have experience with handling animals in a work environment? Then, the Animal Control Officer role may be your next career move!

The Location

Office location is Morehead City, NC.

The Details

Hiring range $43,328.21 - $47,661.03

Posting expires 9/25 /2026

Full-time with benefits including paid medical, dental, vision and life insurance; retirement and 401(k) plans; and, paid sick, vacation and holiday leave.

REQUIRED - Must complete pre-employment screenings including criminal background check, fingerprint background, drug test, motor vehicle report & education screening (if applicable). Offers of employment are conditional on acceptable results.

General Statement of Duties
Performs intermediate semiskilled work enforcing animal control laws, investigating calls and animal bites, capturing and handling sick and injured animals and wildlife, issuing legal notices for violations, providing information to the public, preparing and maintaining files and records, and preparing reports.

Distinguishing Features of the Class
An employee in this class is responsible for responding to requests for services involving animal complaints from citizens. Work involves investigating animal cruelty and neglect, animal bites, capturing and quarantining animals, issuing legal notices for violations, and providing public education regarding responsible pet ownership and rabies control. Work is performed under the limited supervision of the Animal Control Supervisor and is evaluated by a review of records, reports, discussions, citizen feedback, by observation, and overall quality of work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Tasks
• Receives, investigates, and answers complaints concerning stray, wild, or owned animals; patrols for animals running at large; checks vaccination status; impounds abandoned and stray dogs and other animals; issues appropriate legal notices regarding vaccinations, animal cruelty, and violations of Dangerous Dog Ordinance.
• Investigates animal bites on humans and animals; prepares associated bite reports; issues quarantines and associated letters of release.
• Captures animals with various live box traps, nets, and catch poles; transports and processes captured animals into shelter.
• Prepares reports and other types of correspondence; prepares and maintains files and records.
• Provides public education regarding needs for laws pertaining to required rabies vaccination of animals; builds positive public relations regarding the need for responsible pet ownership and rabies control.
• Prepares reports and other types of correspondence; prepares and maintains files and records.

Additional Job Duties
Performs any other duty as necessary, including assisting with any public health emergency including, but not limited to natural disasters, man-made disasters, influenza pandemics (e.g. H1N1) or other outbreaks of communicable disease, disaster surveillance and response, to ensure the efficiency of the Health Department.

Recruitment and Selection Guidelines

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• General knowledge of County and department policies and procedures.
• General knowledge of applicable local, Federal, and State laws, rules, and regulations.
• General knowledge of the control and handling of wildlife and animals.
• General knowledge of the geography of the County.
• General knowledge in preparing reports and other types of correspondence.
• General knowledge in the use of standard office equipment and associated software (e.g. ShelterPro).
• General knowledge in the use of the equipment required for the position.
• Ability to solve problems within scope of responsibility.
• Ability to make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to compute rates, ratios, and percentages.
• Ability to enforce ordinances and statutes with firmness and impartiality.
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written form.
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County officials, shelter personnel, supervisors, associates, and the general public.

Physical Requirements
• Work requires the regular exertion of up to 25 pounds of force, frequent exertion of up to 50 pounds of force, and occasional exertion of up to 150 pounds of force to move objects.
• Work regularly requires sitting for long periods of time, standing, walking, and running on various types of terrains in pursuit of animals, and lifting, occasionally requires using hands to finger, handle, or feel, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, climbing or balancing.
• Work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception, night vision, and peripheral vision.
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound.
• Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating motor vehicles or equipment, and observing general surroundings and activities.
• Work regularly requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions, to include extreme temperatures and difficult or hazardous situations, exposure to fumes or airborne particles such as animal dander, exposure to waste, animal bites, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals, and the occasional exposure to blood borne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment.
• Work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Desirable Education and Experience
Graduation from high school and one to three years of experience in Animal Control or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Special Requirements
Work requires ability to work rotating shifts, on-call, weekends, and holidays.
Obtain ICS 100, 200,700 and 800 certifications within six months of hire.
Complete Cultural Diversity and OSHA training within six months of hire.
Valid North Carolina driver’s license.

Carteret County
2021

Pay Grade: 105
FLSA: Non-Exempt