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Animal Care Assistant

Category: Classified 
Pay Grade: C13 
Job Code: 20030 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.  Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.  

JOB SUMMARY 

Performs responsible animal care and animal services maintenance work at a large animal control shelter operation; cares for impounded animals; assists the public on animal control-related matters; feeds and observes the condition of animals held in the kennel; implements sanitary policies; ensures humane conditions and performs a variety of independent tasks; performs and assists with euthanasia tasks on animals. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive) 

• Checks for licensing and inoculation of animals admitted to kennel and records animal history, weight, food intake, and license tags, microchips, or vaccination/license tags; 
• Assists Veterinary Technicians to restrain animals, prepares animals for surgery, and does post-surgery examination; 
• Assists with euthanasia and cremation processes; 
• Cleans and sterilizes operating room, instruments, and equipment; 
• Prepares dead animals for delivery to Health Department for laboratory analysis; 
• Feeds and waters animals according to established schedules and cleans and disinfects cages, pens, and walking yards; 
• Inspects animals for signs of illness and/or injuries and reports health problems to supervisor or medical personnel; 
• Assists veterinary staff in screening animals for adoption and with rabies shot clinics; 
• Transports animals to and from the surgical area and between quarters; 
• Responds to in-person or telephone requests for information concerning lost animals, admission of strays or unwanted animals, and licensing laws; 
• May perform custodial and housekeeping tasks, preventative maintenance, and equipment repair; 
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.  

QUALIFICATIONS 

Education and Experience: 

Three (3) months of animal care/training experience or coursework in veterinary technology; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience. 

Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment): 

• Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any. 
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations. 
• Physical strength and agility to lift heavy animals, equipment, and supplies. 
• Applicant must secure State Euthanasia and Crematory Certification or equivalent credentials recognized by the Florida Animal Control Association within 6 months of hire. 
• Exposure to personal risk during assignments causing periodic contact with hostile or diseased animals. 
• Candidate to demonstrate more advanced proficiency, competency, and satisfactory completion of regularly assigned work in an independent manner. Appointing Authority retains discretion to employ an incumbent at this level or advance the incumbent non-competitively or competitively, after a candidate meets the minimum qualifications to an in-line career ladder position within the same organization or department. 
• Other knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:  

• Knowledge of basic animal control procedures and techniques for the care and feeding of animals; 
• Knowledge and skill in restraining, handling, and caring for animals in a humane manner; 
• Knowledge of breeds and skill to classify animals; 
• Ability to acquire knowledge of department regulations and to apply same to work situations; 
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions; 
• Ability to communicate tactfully and courteously with the public; 
• Ability to maintain basic records; 
• Ability to identify behavior characteristics of animals for adoption screening purposes; 
• Ability to use small office equipment and computers; 
• Ability to use or repair small and medium equipment and machinery. 

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS 

The work is heavy work which requires exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.  Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:  

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium. 
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. 
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet. 
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine. 
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips. 
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling. 
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm. 
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand. 
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees. 
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles. 
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion. 
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward. 
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction. 
• Visual ability: Sufficient to effectively operate office equipment including copier, computer, etc.; and to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, etc. 
• Hearing ability: Sufficient to hold a conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; and to hear recordings on transcription device. 
• Speaking ability: Sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone. 
• Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes. 
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. 
• Repetitive motion:  Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers. 
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time. 
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another. 

WORKING CONDITIONS 

Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs.