Job Description

The purpose of this classification is to enforce animal control codes and ordinances, protect human life and property, and to assist with care of animals housed in the Richmond Consolidated Government animal shelter.

Key Responsibilities and Performance Standards:

• Responds to animal related complaints: responds to and investigates animal bites, potential animal cruelty and abuse, animals in distress, stray and nuisance animals, barking dogs, wild and dangerous animals, sick and injured animals, animal behavior problems, or animal control laws; provides information and assistance; mediates and resolves citizen disputes; conducts interviews of bite victims, animal owners, and witnesses; determines vaccination status of animals; issues citations and violations; and performs follow-up as appropriate.
• Patrols Consolidated Government to locate and pick up stray animals and to observe and investigate animal control violations: enforces animal related laws and ordinances; captures domestic, wild, dangerous, or aggressive animals; sets animal traps; loads animals into cages; transports animals to animal shelter, veterinarian offices, or other locations; relocates displaced wildlife; removes dead animals from roadways; and assists law enforcement by removing animals from accident or crime scenes.
• Processes captured animals and animals removed from homes or dangerous situations: traps, catches, and impounds stray or nuisance animals; handles, lifts, and carries animals, restraining as appropriate; handles frightened, fractious, and injured animals; checks animals for signs of rabies, disease, or other illnesses; quarantines animals as necessary; assigns and transports animals to shelter; and prepares and maintains all related documentation.
• Processes all documentation associated with Animal Control operations, within designated timeframes and per established procedures: receives and reviews various documentation, including bite reports, vaccination records, and court files; reviews, completes, forwards or retains as appropriate; prepares or completes various forms and reports, including citations, vehicle maintenance records, bite records, and daily activity logs; compiles data for further processing or for use in preparation of department reports; and maintains computerized and/or hardcopy records.
• Interprets and enforces ordinances, rules, regulations, standards, policies and procedures related to animal control: ensures staff adherence to established safety procedures; monitors work environment and use of safety equipment to ensure safety of employees and other individuals; initiates any actions necessary to correct deviations or violations; issues citations to violators of animal control ordinances; and contacts law enforcement to request arrests.
• Receives and responds to questions concerning responsibility of pet ownership, laws and ordinances, pet adoption, and other department issues: provides information and answers questions; and resolves routine customer service and animal care and control issues.
• Maintains current, comprehensive knowledge and awareness of applicable laws, regulations, principles and practices relating to Animal Control; maintains an awareness of new trends and advances in the profession; and attends workshops, in-service training sessions, and meetings as needed.
• Perform other duties of a similar nature or level.

This positions may require:

• Handling dangerous, venomous animals.
• Potential exposure to zoonotic pathogens/diseases.
• Assistance in feeding and cleaning animal pens
• Rotating Shift, include providing 7 days a week, 24 hours/day, coverage as necessary to respond and prioritize multiple request.

Qualifications

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: High school diploma or GED is required.

Experience: One year of continuous experience in any field. On-the-job training provided. Incumbent will be trained to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to learn applicable laws, rules and regulations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.

Licensing/Certification:

• Possession of a valid driver's license with good driving history. If State license is other than Georgia or South Carolina, applicant must obtain a license in Georgia or South Carolina within 30 days of employment.
• Euthanasia certification within 6 months of employment.
• Ability to pass NACA Level 1 and Level 2 or NACHO Module A and B or equivalent training.

This position requires staff call up in emergency situations and Travel from the office more than 50% of the time.

PERFORMANCE APTITUDES:

• Data Utilization Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.
• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to work with and apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others to coordinate programs or activities of a project, and resolve typical problems associated with the responsibilities of the job.
• Equipment: Requires the ability to start, stop, operate and monitor the functioning of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference and descriptive data and information.
• Math: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations with fractions; may include ability to compute discount, interest, and ratios; may include ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving broader aspects of organizational programs and operations, moderately unstable situations, or the direction, control and planning of an entire program or set of programs.
• Physical Abilities: Tasks require the ability to exert moderate, though not constant physical effort, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and prolonged standing, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (12-20 pounds).
• Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, taste, odor, depth, texture, and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
• Environmental Factors: Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, heights, confined spaces, animal/wildlife attacks, animal/human bites, disease, , or rude/irate custom.

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.