Animal Control Officer

Overview

The City of Charlotte is the largest municipality in North Carolina and the 15th largest city in the United States, with a total population of more than 897,000 citizens. A major commerce center, Charlotte hosts several of the nation's largest banks and technology companies.

Also known as the Queen City, Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We work hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone - a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play. Join us in helping to keep our City thriving, ensuring upward mobility and advancement in the workplace.

Summary

Under general supervision, the Animal Control Officer requires basic skills to ensure the protection of citizens and property and the safe keeping of animals through the enforcement of state laws and local ordinances. This includes the handling of animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
•Respond to calls for service to enforce local and state animal control laws, including non-emergency and emergency complex field situations
•Issuance of warnings or citations in connection with animal-related offenses
•Contact police to report violations and request arrests when necessary, referring complex cases to Senior or Lead Animal Control Officer(s)
•Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, including interviewing violators, witnesses, and victims, collecting evidence, and writing reports
•Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, wild, sick/injured or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, traps or tranquilizer darts as necessary
•Examine animals for injuries or malnutrition and arrange for necessary medical treatment
•Drive standard pick-up truck or van with specially equipped body for transport of animals
•Remove captured animals from animal-control service vehicle and place animals including rabid, unclaimed, or severely injured, in shelter cages or other enclosures, treating all animals in a humane and compassionate manner
•Supply animals with food and water, clean facilities and equipment including dog pens and animal control trucks
•Prepare for and potentially testify in court for nuisance declarations or other prosecutions related to animal treatment
•Educate the public about animal welfare, animal control laws, and regulations
•Contact animal owners to inform them that their pets are at animal holding facilities
•Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals
•Respond to inquiries from the public concerning animal control operations
•Examine animal licenses and inspect establishments housing animals for compliance with laws - including circuses, zoos and pet stores
•Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
•Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, and agency rules, including state and local animal control laws and ordinances, municipal policy and procedures
•Safe handling and general welfare of small and large domestic and wild animals
•Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
•Basic computer operations and administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, and other office procedures and terminology.
•Comprehend and relay information and ideas presented through spoken and written communication
•Utilize resources available for problem solving
•Communicate in a clear, concise, tactful and courteous manner with varying ethnicities
•Act with minimal supervision using independent judgement and discretion in meeting emergency situations
•Work different shifts with rotating days off

ADA and Other Requirements:

Positions in this class typically require: grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.

Physical Requirements:
•Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, standing, climbing, or walking for extended periods of time
•Light to moderate lifting and carrying; some crouching, stooping, squatting, crawling, reaching, pushing, and pulling when performing tasks
•Adequate vision, hearing, and speech required.

Sensory Requirements:
•Concentrated and attentive use of one or more senses (visual, audio, and other sensory modalities) for proofreading, data entry, tabulating data.
•Ability to operate in an environment with frequent interruptions from people and or noises, which in return could result in some level of stress, fatigue, or strain.
•Comprehensive written information in work-related documents.
•Ability to hear, understand, and distinguish speech.

Working Conditions:

Indoor/Outdoor environment; may enter a residence containing a deceased person to remove an animal; work in a variety of environmental and weather conditions in indoor and outdoor settings; regular exposure to fumes or airborne particles, animal transmitted diseases, exposure to fractious, frightened, dangerous animals; mental and emotional stress from euthanasia; contact with irate/emotional pet owners and victims; frequent exposure to wet and/or humid conditions and vibration; potential for contact with toxic or caustic chemicals; the noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

Other Requirements:

Successfully complete and pass a pre-employment hearing, vision, and psychological evaluation. Failure to successfully pass all segments of the pre-employment evaluation process will result in disqualification from further consideration under this vacancy announcement.

Minimum Qualifications

High School Graduate or Equivalent and one year related work experience

Conditions of Employment

The City's Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate's written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportu.