Animal Care and Control Officer Lead

The Animal Care & Control Officer/Kennel Lead is a working lead who optimizes the health and welfare of animals in our animal care facility and in St. Louis County. 

This position serves as a bridge between the kennel staff, field staff and the supervisors, providing daily guidance and support to both Kennel Staff, Animal Control Officers, and Bite Desk to ensure the safety of the community and its animals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Lead Responsibilities)

·Oversee Kennel Staff & Animal Control Officers to ensure compliance with Saint Louis County Animal policies, ordinances and safety protocols.

·Train and mentor staff on best practices for animal care, field investigations, public education, and clinical veterinary assistance to ensure consistency across the team.

·Serve in the Kennel Supervisor and/or Animal Control Officer Supervisor’s absence and perform administrative tasks associated with program supervision, including Bite Desk support.

·Monitor and assist staff regarding the accuracy of animal care, feeding and medication administration, cleaning protocols, activity notes, rabies observation forms, and legal documentation.

·Perform and lead interactions with the public to improve animal health and welfare and evaluate officer education regarding responsible pet ownership.

·Adapt practices to ensure the most current approaches to animal health and welfare are implemented within the division

·Other duties as assigned.

Field and Technical Duties

·Perform standard Animal Control Officer duties as required or assigned, including patrol, investigations and enforcement.

·Provide direct animal care control services as needed.

·Lead and assist in clinical tasks, including medications, immunizations, and rabies specimen preparation, and bite reporting documentation. 

·Review and ensure the accuracy of team activity notes, rabies forms, and legal reports.

Kennel and Animal Care Duties

·Care for animals in an animal shelter including providing food, water, exercise and human interaction according to defined guidelines.

·Observe for signs of atypical illness or behavior and report to supervisor.

·Clean and maintain shelter using power equipment such as steam cleaner or floor scrubber, and prepare and apply chemicals to clean animal housing, food containers and water containers.

·Assist with processing incoming animals from the general public and outgoing animals for adoption, foster care or rescue group placement.

·Interact with the public to promote animal adoption.

·Adapt practices to ensure the most current approaches to animal health and welfare are implemented.

Physical Requirements & Availability

·Must be able to work all three shifts and any day within the week to ensure coverage is met. Weekends are required. Schedule is determined by business need. 

·Ability to safely handle, restrain, and transport animals of various sizes and temperaments, including aggressive or injured animals. 

·Must be able to lift and carry up to 100 lbs regularly.

·Ability to work in various outdoor weather conditions. 

Three years of animal handling experience or an equivalent amount of combined education and training. Leadership experience is preferred. 

Possession of a valid Driver's License.

Salary : $38,522 - $46,218