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Animal Services Officer

Calaveras County Animal Services is seeking a dedicated individual who has passion for animal welfare, strong communication skills and the ability to handle challenging situations with integrity and professionalism. The role is pivotal in enforcing animal-related laws and promoting responsible pet ownership.

Under general supervision of the Animal Services Manager or designee, individuals within the Animal Services Officer series are responsible for enforcing applicable state and local laws that apply to the governing and control of domestic animals. Animal Services Officers respond to citizens' complaints and requests, domestic animal control concerns including addressing potentially dangerous and potentially vicious domestic animals. The Animal Services Officer series also performs related work as assigned.

Example of Duties

• Enforces state and local laws pertaining to the control of canines and other domestic animals.
• Receive and investigate complaints and reports from the public and other agencies regarding stray, dangerous, unwanted or improperly controlled animals; tactfully handle complaints, mitigating concerns; investigate and prepare animal cruelty cases.
• Pick up and transport stray, confined, sick, injured or dead animals; impound animals and release impounded animals to owners; segregate, isolate, perform euthanasia and dispose of ill, injured, unwanted or aged animals.
• Apprehends and properly disposes of a variety of domestic pets, wildlife and livestock;
• Quarantine all canines suspected of having rabies and investigate all potentially dangerous and potentially vicious domestic animals.
• Receives and investigates complaints regarding the care, maintenance, control and disposal of all types of animals;
• Provides satisfactory explanations to the general public on State and local laws relating to animals;
• Exercises tact, compassion, courtesy and poise while discharging assigned duties;
• Investigates animal bites and completes related paperwork;
• Investigates and prepares animal cruelty cases; issue violation notices and court citations; collect evidence, prepare, submit and conduct search warrants; appear in court as a witness; prepare responses and represent Calaveras County Animal Services in Superior Court regarding dangerous and vicious dogs; be able to prepare responses to pre- and post- seizure hearings;
• Issues Notices to Appear in Court and may be required to testify in court relating to criminal matters;
• Prepares legible, clearly written reports; keeps records and completes forms concerning animal control violations and transactions;
• Patrols all or assigned areas of the county; issues citations for violations of domestic animal control laws.
• Operates pick-up trucks, vans and stock trailers used in transportation of animals and equipment;
• Operate vehicle to patrol jurisdictions overseen by Calaveras County; enforce animal regulations, laws and ordinances; answer questions from the public concerning age, breed, characteristics, care and treatment of animals; advise the public of legal rights, explaining and interpreting animal control laws, regulations, procedures and policies; contact dog owners by house-to-house canvassing to locate unlicensed or unvaccinated dogs; collect and turn in fees.
• Prepares specimens for submission to the Public Health Lab for rabies examination;
• Works with the County Health Officer and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), in the prevention of rabies and other diseases;
• Performs humane euthanasia;
• Assist at rabies vaccination clinics; administers vaccines and microchips;
• Examines animals to determine age, sex, and overall condition;
• Work cooperatively with other law enforcement groups when joint action is required; issue violation notices and court citations, collect evidence and appear in court as a witness, as necessary
• Performs all duties required for Animal Shelter Assistant, as assigned, including maintaining the shelter in a clean and orderly condition; minor shelter maintenance and repair; feeding, watering and caring for impounded animals;
• Work cooperatively with local law enforcement in responding to potentially dangerous/potentially violent or rabid animals that require assistance in the dispatching of an animal through use of firearms;
• Through the use of department approved software, maintain records of all activities involving public contact in the pursuit of official duties; proficiently operates computer software for tracking animals;
• May be assigned to any shift and required to be available on standby or on-call basis.

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge of: Techniques and procedures for the safe, humane and efficient handling of animals; techniques and behavioral characteristics of domestic pets, common wildlife and livestock; basic understanding of common domestic pet anatomy; basic understanding of State and local laws and ordinances relating to the care and maintenance of domestic pets, livestock, wildlife and quarantining of suspected rabid animals; and general computer systems and operations. Skill and Ability to: Prepare legible, clearly written reports, logs and forms; treat, handle and care for animals in a respectful, compassionate and humane manner; develop evidence in investigations for criminal prosecution; learn and perform crime scene preservation and evidence handling techniques; recognize symptoms of rabies and other common animal diseases; learn and perform animal capture involving tranquilizers, traps and related equipment; take physical control of animals, including livestock, that may resist; and learn computer software programs for animal tracking; clearly explain animal control procedures and regulations to the public; discharge firearm safely and accurately; read and comprehend laws and regulations pertaining to animal control; present evidence and testify in court cases; recognize symptoms of rabies and other animal diseases; and keep statistical records.

Education, Training, and Experience: Equivalent to graduation from high school. Additional coursework or training in animal health, behavior and/or animal control is desirable. Animal Services Officer I: One year of full-time paid or volunteer experience in the care or control of animals. Examples of qualifying experience are: Veterinarian technician or helper, kennel attendant, zoo attendant, 4-H or Farm experience, or animal training experience. Animal Services Officer II: Two years of increasingly responsible animal control experience equivalent to an Animal Services Officer I, or comparable position in another governmental animal control agency or private Humane Society or S.P.C.A. with animal control responsibilities.

Special Requirements

Possession of a valid California Driver's License. Animal Services Officer I: Successfully complete and pass the Penal Code 832 class within the first six (6) months of employment. Successfully obtain a Euthanasia Certificate. Animal Services Officer II: Possess a certificate of completion for Penal Code 832. Possess a valid Euthanasia Certificate.