Animal Intake/Care Technician

GUILFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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Description

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
Processes all incoming animals to the shelter. Assists in providing medical care as required and determines housing arrangements.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

Animal Intake/Care Technicians perform intake activities including performing vaccinations, conducting preliminary health examinations and assessments, researching for owner information and possible reunification, entering information into the departments animal management systems along with a high level of public interaction at the shelter facility. Incumbents assist in the daily care of the animals and maintain the intake area of the shelter to provide a clean and safe environment for impounding animals, staff and the public. Incumbents also must be able to deal with the stress of an often times emotion-charged public and carry a fast paced and changing work load. Incumbents must be available and willing to work weekends, holidays and to attend any mandatory training or meetings the employer determines are necessary to meet business needs. Reports to the Animal Care Supervisor.

Examples of Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Duties and Tasks

• Performs skilled work in the intake and providing care for animals in the shelter. Comes in contact with sick, injured unruly and/or vicious animals and impounds them safely and humanely.
• Assists Cleaning Techs in the daily care of animals by providing medication, cleaning cages and kennels, and feeding the animals. Identifies and tags animals.
• Assists with monitoring health care of animals or any changes; monitoring animals for signs of illness, stress, or lethargy; washing and disinfecting dishes and equipment daily; performing adoption counseling and customer service.
• Participates in euthanasia program and adoption counseling.
• Conducts daily animal counts.
• Other related duties as assigned.

• Knowledge of disease management/recognition, and general animal care and safe, humane handling skills
• Knowledge and ability to perform general diagnostic testing to assist with determining health of animal.
• Knowledge of various breeds of dogs, cats and other animals.
• Knowledge of animal shelter policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of and ability to assist in performing physical exams and identifying and addressing medical problems/diseases.
• Ability to work as part of a team to accomplish tasks
• Ability to keep accurate, and detailed records and enter them into computerized animal management system
• Ability to perform math.

Typical Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

High School Diploma or its equivalent and one year of experience in veterinary hospital, humane society or other animal facility. Previous animal intake/care experience in an animal shelter is preferred.

NOTE: Experience with personal pets is not considered qualifying. Experience on a ranch, farm, boarding facility, veterinary hospital or with a humane society performing animal care and kennel work is considered qualifying.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions and Physical Demands of Work
The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds; frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds; frequently push and/or pull up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Working conditions are in a kennel environment with frequent exposure to laboratory conditions including hazardous materials, unfavorable fumes and odors, and working with animal body fluids and infectious diseases, and loud noises.

May Require Driving
This position may require driving for this position whether driving a County owned or personal vehicle to conduct county business such as but not limited to attending conferences, meetings, or any other county related functions. Motor Vehicle Reports may be verified for valid driver's license and that the driving record is compatible with the county's driving criteria.
If a personal vehicle is operated for county business proper insurance is maintained as per Guilford County's vehicle use policy.

Special Note: This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements. However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job questionnaire with a physical abilities checklist, which can give further details about that one specific position. Those documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process. They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal and defensible personnel decisions.

Guilford County is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to employees and applicants for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation or political affiliation. The County is committed to complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws that pertain to employment, and to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination of any kind. If you need an auxiliary aide, make the request forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the time the accommodation is needed by calling 336-641-3324.