Animal Services Officer

The Animal Services Officer serves the City of Benton residents by educating and enforcing laws/ordinances/resolutions pertaining to animals. Also ensures the humane disposal of animals when necessary. Position is deemed essential personnel and safety sensitive.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the following Essential Duties satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of the position:

• Shall respond to all calls involving an animal.
• Operates a City vehicle to patrol the City; maintains a vehicle in a clean and sanitary manner.
• Answers questions and provides information to the public regarding animal laws, ordinances, and procedures.
• Investigates alleged violations of animal laws and ordinances; interviews suspected violators and witnesses and gathers appropriate physical evidence; obtains and serves seizure warrants.
• Issues citations and warnings to violators; testifies in court as required.
• Captures, restrains, and handles a variety of animals by using available equipment; transports captured animals to Animal Services Center.
• Investigates animal bites, prepares detailed reports, and quarantines biting animals for rabies hold.
• Tranquilizes and euthanizes animals by injections; maintains accurate euthanasia records.
• Disposes of dangerous, injured, and dead animals found within the City limits.
• Maintains files of each investigation; maintains record cards for each animal impounded.
• Document all calls responded to in Shelter Management.
• Assists in adoption fairs and educational programs for local organizations.
• Will be required to work and serve on-call outside of normal business hours, including nights, weekends, and/or holidays as needed by the department, as needed.
• Performs other duties as necessary or assigned.

This job description and the enumerated Essential Duties are intended to provide general guidelines for job expectations and the employees’ ability to perform the position described. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned or assumed by the incumbent as necessary to fulfill the requirements of the position.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. The employee frequently works outside in adverse weather conditions, and in an office environment with exposure to fumes, dust, toxic or caustic chemicals. The position requires regularly driving a motorized vehicle.

The position involves writing, keyboarding, speaking, listening, lifting, carrying, seeing (such as close, color and peripheral vision, depth perception and adjusted focus), sitting, pulling, walking, standing, squatting, kneeling, and reaching.

The incumbent for this position may operate any or all the following: telephone, copy and fax machines, scanner and image systems, computer terminal, personal computer, printers, or other equipment as directed.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk or hear; frequently required to walk, sit, reach with hands and arms; and frequently required to stand, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and color vision.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The physical demands 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.

The incumbent in this position must remain current and informed on related regulatory updates, City ordinances/resolutions/policies and applicable Federal, States, Municipal statutes, rules, and regulations. He/she must be able to read and understand documents, instruments, and highly technical reports; perform detailed work; and problem solving. Incumbents must also display proficiency in analytical reasoning, math, language, presentation skills, and verbal and written communication with internal and external customers.

He/she must educate citizens and the general public regarding City ordinances/resolutions/policies and the consequences of not adhering to them. Incumbent must be able to effectively manage deadlines, multiple concurrent tasks, and constant interruptions. He/she shall conduct departmental services/operations in a professional, effective and efficient manner. Incumbent shall schedule work activities during employee’s absences (due to sick/vacation time) and distribute workflow appropriately.

Incumbent must be able to work in a constant state of alertness and…