Animal Care Assistant

Pinellas County Government • Largo, FL

19h • Onsite

About The Position

Looking for a meaningful career where your work truly makes a difference? If you’re passionate about animal care, Animal Services could be the perfect place for you. Join a fun, supportive team in a state-of-the-art facility that takes pride in providing exceptional care. Each year, we serve more than 12,000 animals and are recognized for having one of the region’s strongest adoption programs. We’re looking for a motivated, compassionate individual who’s ready to make an impact and grow with our team.
The Animal Care Assistant 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. This position is responsible for implementing and following through with sanitary policies to ensure humane conditions are met. Performs a variety of independent tasks and assists with euthanasia tasks on animals.

Requirements

• Graduation from high school or possession of GED Certificate
• At least 1 year of animal care/training or handling experience or coursework in veterinary technology; or
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.
• 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 up to 50 pounds on a frequent basis.
• Ability to take animals on walks and be on feet for long periods of time.
• Exposure to personal risk during assignments causing periodic contact with hostile or diseased animals.
• Possession of State Euthanasia Certification; or equivalent credentials recognized by the Florida Animal Control Association with 6 months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Checks for licensing and inoculation of animals admitted to kennel; records animal history, weight, food intake, and license tags, microchips, or vaccination/license tags.
• Assists Veterinary Technicians to constrain 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; cleans and disinfects cages, pens and walking yards.
• Inspects animals for signs of illness and/or injuries; reports health problems to supervisor or medical personnel.
• Assists veterinary staff in screening animals for adoption.
• 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.
• Performs custodial and housekeeping tasks, preventative maintenance, and equipment repair.
• Cleans and maintains animal’s quarters in a sanitary and humane way. May perform preventative maintenance and equipment repair.
• Performs routine work in shelter maintenance operations.
• Performs related work as assigned or required.

Benefits

• Our benefits rank among the top in the area!
• Looking for a strong retirement? We have you covered as members of the Florida Retirement System (FRS) with investment and pension options.
• We have deferred compensation programs and wellness centers to name a few perks. Check out these and more!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED