Animal Shelter Care Attendant

St. Mary's County Government

Job Description

This position provides care for animals in the shelter including feeding, cleaning, and monitoring animal behavior. They assist Animal Shelter Health Attendants with animal restraint for medical procedures; and performs related duties as required. This position is responsible for performing maintenance work, technical, and administrative duties including reporting and monitoring animal activities; provides outstanding customer service to shelter visitors; responds promptly, and efficiently to phone and email requests. THREE POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Essential Functions:

Responsible for cleaning and disinfecting of animal pens, floors, and related areas in accordance with established protocols;
Monitors conditions of animals and implements precautionary measures in order to prevent disease transmission;
Provides general office assistance such as answering phones, performs data entry, or other related duties as assigned. Unpacks, labels, and stocks shelter supplies and donations;
Assists customers wishing to adopt an animal; escorts customers through the shelter; responds to and directs questions regarding adoption or purchasing procedures and assists with adoption processing and provides general information on pet care;
Assists with animal restraints for vaccinations and routine medical tests;
Recognizes and reports any unusual condition or abnormal behavior of any shelter animal including recognizing temperament changes and symptoms of illness or injury directly to the Animal Shelter Health Attendants;
Releases animals to their owners/custodian as directed by Animal Shelter Adoption Coordinator, Animal Shelter Volunteer Coordinator, or the Animal Shelter Operations Supervisor;
Washes and dries towels, blankets, litter pans, and food/water bowls;
Prepare and dispense food for the animals, ensuring their dietary needs are met according to shelter guidelines.
Performs preventive maintenance to equipment to keep equipment and tools in good working condition, performs minor repairs on equipment as needed and notifies management about anticipated major repairs or new equipment necessary to adequately complete assignments and keeps equipment and tools put away in proper storage areas;
Transports sick or seriously injured animals to the veterinarian for treatment and disinfects animal spaces between usages;
Provides outstanding customer service to citizens, volunteers, rescue partners, and staff while actively promoting our mission, services, programs, and events;
Provides direction for volunteers when appropriate;
Takes immediate action to address all safety concerns that could put a staff member, volunteer, animal, client, or the organization at risk;
Assists with behavioral evaluations and follows enrichment protocols set in place for specific Animals;
Works with trustees from inmate work detail and directs and participates in maintaining sanitary kennels and shelter facilities;
Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of good animal handling skills and motivation to ensure animals receive proper Care;
Knowledge of Hazards and safety practices involved in dealing with animals;
Computer applications such as animal management software, Microsoft Outlook and/Office 365;
Ability to work independently, work with the public, volunteers, animal control officers, and
other agencies;
Ability to inform and assist the public and volunteers as needed;
Ability to maintain a safe, secure, healthy, and humane environment;
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing;
Ability to deal effectively with the public;

Education and Experience:

High school diploma or GED equivalent;
One year of direct professional animal handling experience in a veterinary facility or animal shelter and customer service experience;
Any acceptable combination of education, training and relevant experience that provides the above knowledges, abilities and skills may be substituted on a full-time year for year basis.

Additional Requirements:

Must possess a valid driver's license;
Must be 18 years of age;
Subject to call-back in emergency situations;
Ability to safely operate a County owned vehicle;
Must be able to obtain Certification in Humane Euthanasia at County Expense within six (6) months of hire;
Obtain a pre-exposure rabies vaccinations upon hire;
Negative drug screen.
Successfully pass an extensive background investigation with negative results.

Physical and Environmental Conditions:

Ability to control, lift and carry animals handled at the facility; requires long periods of standing, frequent walking indoors, repeated bending, crouching, stooping, stretching or reaching; recurring lifting of objects up to 50 pounds and handle dogs weighing up to 150 lbs.; operation of keyboard devices; work may be physically or emotionally demanding.

Also, workers are exposed to hazards of dealing with dangerous, frightened, or diseased animals, and exposure to cleaning and disinfecting agents.

Requires working non-standard schedules including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Workers must be willing to assist in euthanasia procedures (the humane destruction of animals).

Requires call-back and working during emergency weather events or other emergency situations that close the shelter and require the operation of an emergency pet shelter. Work is subject to frequent interruptions.

This is a full time job