Part-Time Animal Control Official

JOB SUMMARY

The objective of the Animal Control Officer is to protect the health and safety of the citizens of the City of Huntsville by pro-actively identifying animal control issues and taking action.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties described below are indicative of what the Animal Control Officer may be asked to perform; other duties may be assigned:

1. Animal Control

• Apprehends stray animals.

• Captures animals involved in bite cases that are suspected of having rabies.

• Acts as Rabies Control Official for the City.

• Responds to citizens complaints.

• Investigates reports of code violations, i.e. stray and/or dead animals, cruelty situations, etc.

• Proactively patrols the city looking for code violations, i.e. stray and/or dead animals, cruelty situations, etc.

• Issues citations.

• Prepares reports as appropriate; testify in court as directed.

• Loads and transports euthanized animals to designated locations.

• Destroys animals as necessary, using humane methods.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required at the time of hire or for the continuation of employment. Must be able to work a rotating schedule or shift work and be assigned on-call duty. May be required to respond to after- hours emergencies within specified time frame.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• High School Diploma or equivalent.

• Basic Animal Control Officer Certification preferred, or ability to obtain within one year.

• Previous experience as an Animal Control Officer preferred or an equivalent combination of

experience and training.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to cooperate with staff and the public.

• Ability to maintain a professional manner when dealing with the public.

• Ability to comprehend and retain city and state policies and legislation i.e., city ordinances, procedure manuals, etc.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to communicate effectively with other members of the staff, supervisor, and the public.

• Ability to communicate in both written and verbal form.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Ability to calculate basic mathematical calculations, without the aid of a calculator.

REASONING ABILITY

• Ability to provide expert advice without formal supervisory responsibility.

• Ability to plan work and establish priorities.

• Ability to respond to complaints and grievances.

• Ability to define problems and deal with a variety of situations.

• Ability to think quickly, maintain self-control, and adapt to stressful situations.

• Ability to use good judgement and effectively solve problems.

PHYSICAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical and work environment described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the functions of this job.

Physical Environment

• The duties of this job may include physical activities such as climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing/listening, seeing/observing, bending/twisting, and performing repetitive motions.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, and peripheral vision; depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment may include some or all of the following:

• Outside environment (no effective protection from weather).

• Time pressure (urgent deadlines, etc).

• Unpleasant social situations (necessity of dealing with irate or disturbed individuals).

• Dirty environment (situations in which workers or their clothing can become dirty, greasy, etc).

• High or low temperatures (possibly leading to stress or decreased ability to work effectively).