Kennel Technician

Animal Control Position

The anticipated start date for this position is Monday, June 29. Employment in this role is dependent upon approval of fiscal year funding.

The Frederick County Division of Animal Control is committed to serving the community through education and resources, humane law enforcement, and animal sheltering. We are proud of an impressive legacy of progressive thinking and community outreach that has reduced animal intake, reduced unwanted litters, and ultimately reduced animal euthanasia. Members of the Animal Control team, have a unique opportunity to not only make a difference for the homeless animals of Frederick County, but to engage in a rewarding career that demands hard work, integrity, high standards, and constant learning. Working with animals and serving the public--what better job could there be?

POSITION DETAILS: Non-exempt (compensatory and/or overtime eligible; additional compensation to include uniform shirts); full-time; 40 hours per week; varying schedule during regular operating hours; full benefits

This position is responsible for the daily care, treatment, and physical well-being of animals housed at the Frederick County Animal Control Center. Duties include feeding, cleaning, and providing regular exercise and enrichment through frequent walks and interactive activities to support both physical and behavioral health. The role requires strong customer service skills when assisting individuals surrendering animals or navigating the adoption process. This is a physically demanding position involving continuous walking, lifting, bending, and standing throughout the shift, often while handling animals of varying sizes and temperaments. Direction is received from the Kennel Technician Supervisor, under supervision from the Animal Control Director.

NOTE: The upper pay range reflects possible wage rates for internal County transfers and promotions, which are calculated per County policy. For external hires, offers are made at the base wage rate.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members. If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE: Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full-time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays (10 and 11 month employees may not receive all holidays)
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan

NOTE: Benefited employees will accrue service and leave based on the FTE and/or hours worked per calendar year.

For more information, visit our benefits page on the Frederick County Government job opportunities webpage.

Essential Duties and Job Responsibilities

• Maintain and thoroughly clean cages, runs and other common areas at the Animal Control Center (e.g. removing animal waste; mopping and scrubbing; sanitizing feeding equipment; and disinfecting areas where animals are kept, fed, watered and generally cared for, etc.)
• Assist Animal Control Officers with incoming animals and equipment
• Perform euthanasia procedures
• Examine animals for general condition and report any illnesses, visible injuries or abnormal behavior of the animals
• Administer inoculations, medication and first aid to animals as directed by the Veterinarian and/or Animal Care Technician including the use of controlled substances
• Maintain controlled substance logs and records
• Control aggressive animals with proper and humane restraint
• Move animals to/from cages/runs and "visiting" areas as part of the pre-adoption process; provide customers with information about breed characteristics of animals being considered for adoption, and suitability for placement in the customer's home
• Assist customers who are bringing animals for drop-off at Animal Control, discuss alternatives available to them; explain Animal Control procedures that will be followed if they choose to leave their animals
• Assist with the inventory of kennel supplies and equipment
• Provide regular exercise and enrichment through frequent walks and interactive activities to support both physical and behavioral health
• Perform other related duties as required

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform all essential functions satisfactorily. Any employee's position may not be assigned all functions or equipment listed above, and the examples may not cover all functions or equipment that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

Qualifications and Requirements

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• 21 years of age at time of application
• High school graduation or the equivalent

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES A successful incumbent operating in this role displays the following:

• Ability to successfully complete the Professional Animal Workers of Maryland (PAWS) Euthanasia by Injection training and written examination within 6 months of hire
• Ability and willingness to perform euthanasia procedures (the humane destruction of animals)
• Knowledge of (or the ability to learn) the tools, techniques and tranquilizing equipment used in the humane handling of animals, and ability to use them without endangering personal safety
• Accurate math skills in order to calculate proper dosage per animal weight
• Familiarity with animal species and breeds, with the ability to effectively identify them and discuss breed characteristics with customers who are considering animal adoptions
• Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills, including the ability to accurately complete clerical and record-keeping duties, and the ability to answer questions clearly and give information as described above
• Ability to effectively complete assigned duties with minimal supervision
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, volunteers and the general public
• Ability to engage animals in regular physical activity using toys, games, and positive reinforcement techniques to encourage exercise and enrichment.

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR:

• Prior kennel/veterinary work experience with cats and/or dogs
• Experience working with cats and/or dog, or other animals in a business or commercial setting (personal pet care will not be accepted)

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS:

• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly walk and lift up to 50 pounds
• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly work in dirty and noisy environments.

Additional Information / Examination Process

• Employees in this classification are designated as Essential. An Essential Employee means the employee is considered necessary for the operation of County services. Essential Employees are required to report to work in the event of a weather incident, general emergency, or disasters when County offices are closed. They may be required to work overtime with little or no advance notice and may be required to report to work in emergency situations and/or after hours
• Ability and willingness to obtain rabies pre-exposure vaccinations (at County expense)
• Available for rotating shift assignments within Animal Control Division operating hours (6 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday; and 6 a.m. – 5:30