Animal Control Officer

Date Opened: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 12:00 AM

Close Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025 12:00 AM

Department: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Salary: $18.26 - $22.83 Commensurate with Experience

SUMMARY

Under supervision, the Animal Control Officer requires basic skills to ensure the protection of citizens and property and the safekeeping of animals by enforcing 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. Maybe required to work shifts, weekends, and holidays.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Respond to calls for service: Respond to calls from the public regarding animal-related issues, such as animal attacks, animal cruelty, and stray animals.

• Enforce local and state animal control laws: Issue warnings or citations to individuals who violate local and state animal control laws.

• Investigate animal cruelty cases: Investigate reports of animal cruelty and neglect, and gather evidence to support prosecution.

• Capture and remove stray animals: Capture and remove stray animals from public areas and transport them to animal shelters.

• Transport animals to shelters or other facilities: Transport animals to animal shelters or other facilities for care and evaluation.

• Provide food and water to animals in shelters: Provide food and water to animals in animal shelters and ensure that they are properly cared for.

• Clean and maintain shelter facilities and equipment: Clean and maintain animal shelters and their facilities and equipment to ensure that they are sanitary and safe for animals.

• Educate the public about animal welfare and animal control laws: Educate the public about animal welfare and animal control laws to promote responsible pet ownership.

• Testify in court in cases related to animal welfare: Testify in court in cases related to animal welfare, such as animal cruelty cases.

• Maintain records of animal impoundments and dispositions: Maintain records of animals that have been impounded and their dispositions, such as adoption, euthanasia, or release back to their owners.

• Respond to inquiries from the public about animal control operations: Respond to inquiries from the public about animal control operations, such as how to report animal cruelty or how to adopt a pet from an animal shelter.

• Enforce animal licensing laws and inspect establishments that house animals: Enforce animal licensing laws and inspect establishments that house animals to ensure that they are complying with the law.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and 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

Minimum Qualifications:

High school graduate or equivalent with 1 year of related experience.

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: