Animal Care Technician

Salary : $46,597.87 - $65,567.88 Annually
Location : Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Career
Job Number: 003647-26-CDD
Department: Community Development
Division: Animal Care/Shelter
Opening Date: 03/02/2026
Closing Date: Continuous


THE POSITION
THIS POSTING WILL BE OPEN UNTIL FILLED

Application cut-off dates are the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.

The Animal Care Technician processes intakes and outtakes; feeds and cares for impounded animals; evaluates and documents animal behavior and temperament; performs euthanasia; interacts with and trains volunteers; performs adoption counseling; participates in the rescue and transfer of animals to outside agencies; sanitizes equipment, kennels and other areas of the facility.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This classification is distinguished from the Senior Animal Care Technician classification in that it is responsible for the care, treatment, maintenance, enrichment, and social and mental stimulation of impounded animals and cleaning activities of Animal Care Services; whereas the latter classification is responsible for the more difficult animal care duties such as, but not limited to, resolving escalations and complaints, signing off on euthanasia decisions, inventory control, kennel management, the operation of the City Animal Care Services, and the direct supervision of lower level personnel. This classification is distinguished from the Veterinary Assistant series in that the latter primarily assists with pre-operative and post-operative surgical care and treatment of impounded animals.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
This classification receives general technical and functional supervision and direction from the Senior Animal Care Technician or higher-level personnel. This classification trains and leads volunteers engaged in similar work.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES


The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform related duties as needed:

• Humanely feed, water, control and provide treatment/care for all impounded animals in accordance to safety and personal protection policies.
• Visually conduct inspections or evaluations and monitor animals to identify and document potential medical issues, signs of illness and abnormal behaviors/temperament; determine placement suitability; make euthanasia recommendations; and participate in behavior modification and enrichment programs.
• Clean and disinfect kennels, equipment, and other areas of the Animal Care Services Center to maintain a sanitary facility for shelter animals and the public.
• Perform humane euthanasia as directed in accordance with department policy.
• Process in and outcome impounded animals and maintain all related records.
• Under the direction of the veterinarian, provide medical treatment, prepare dosage and administer medication to animals; draw blood and obtain laboratory samples (i.e. rabies specimen) for testing; administer IV fluids; and may assist with obtaining digital X-Rays.
• Perform adoption counseling.
• Provide courteous and professional customer service.
• Humanely capture loose animals, control fractious animals and break up dog fights that occur at the facility.
• Perform behavior evaluations on animals as directed in accordance with department policy.
• Participate in animal behavior modification and enrichment programs.
• Make euthanasia recommendations for animals that are human aggressive, animal aggressive and irremediably suffering.
• Handle deceased animals, disinfectant chemicals, and sharps; vaccinate animals.
• Train and supervise volunteers.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Common practices, materials and methods used in cleaning and caring for animals and related facilities and equipment.
• Physical and behavioral characteristics of various animal species. The symptoms of common animal diseases.
• Occupational hazards and safety precautions of work around small and large animals.
• Basic math, including fractions.

Ability to:

• Read, write, and speak English at a level necessary for efficient job performance.
• Safely care for and physically control domestic and exotic animals and reptiles.
• Recognize and identify symptoms and behaviors associated with rabies and other domestic animal diseases.
• Perform humane euthanasia of animals.
• Carry out oral and written instructions.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with employees, volunteers, vendors and members of the public.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:
One year of experience in the care and treatment of animals. Examples of qualifying experience are: Veterinary Assistant, Registered Veterinary Technician, kennel attendant in a high-volume public or private facility, SPCA, or animal shelter.

OR

Two years of City of Sacramento volunteer experience in animal care.


AND

Education:
High School Diploma or GED equivalent.

Possession of an Associate or Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in an animal related science is preferred.

PROOF OF EDUCATION:
Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment . Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Certification:

• Euthanasia certification must be obtained during the probationary period.
• Veterinary Assistant Controlled Substances Permit (VACSP) issued by the State of California Veterinary Medical Board must be obtained during the probationary period.
• Some positions may be required to obtain forklift certification.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein 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 job functions.

Work Conditions:
Must perform shift work as assigned, including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays. Overtime may also be required.

Environmental Conditions:
Work outside in various types of weather. Incumbents must be able to work in or around animal fur, dander, excrement; deal with and protect against infectious and aggressive animals. Incumbents are exposed to customers who are emotionally distressed and confrontational, occasionally under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The Animal Care Services Center is a smoke free compound. As such, incumbents are required to leave the facility property to smoke. Additionally, incumbents are exposed to euthanasia solution and tranquilizer.


Physical Conditions:
Must be able to regularly lift, carry, restrain, and/or capture animals up to 60 pounds, animals heavier than 60 pounds with assistance. Incumbents will be required to walk, run, stand, or climb on wet concrete surfaces; must possess the ability to reach, bend, stoop, squat, hear, perform hand movements, and repetitive motions; have finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD
Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE


Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application for further consideration by the next posted cut-off date;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  • If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
• Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application. Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
• If you're requesting Veteran's credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application, or sent to the Employment Office by email/fax or mailed by the next posted cut-off date. Information regarding the use of Veteran's credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.

2. Training and Experience Exam : (Weighted 100%) - The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam. Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted.
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.

3. Eligibility : Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate's eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Animal Care Technician examination.


4. Screening Committee : (Pass/Fail)- All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.


5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.


QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at View phone number on click.appcast.io.
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at ;
• Send an email to ; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.


Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information
Civil Service Rules:


Union Contracts:
Salary Schedule:
01



APPLICATION : I understand my application must meet the minimum qualifications for consideration of employment with the City of Sacramento. The experience I list in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section of the employment application will be used to determine if I meet the minimum qualifications as stated on the job announcement. A resume, responses to the supplemental questions requiring a narrative response, employment history listed elsewhere in the application or attachments will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section of the employment application. Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).Please refer to the City of Sacramento's Applicant Resources Page for Screening Instructions:

• Yes

02



PROOF OF EDUCATION: To qualify for this classification you may use any combination of education and/or experience as listed to provide required knowledge, skills, and abilities.I understand proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with my application and will be required at the time of appointment if I am using education to qualify for this position.Please refer to the City of Sacramento's Proof of Education Requirements ( for information on accepted documentation.

• Yes

03



EDUCATION CONFIRMATION: If I am using education to qualify for this position, I attest I possess or will possess the following level of education by time of appointment if I am selected for this position.

• No units from an accredited college or university
• Less than 30 semester or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• 30 semester or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• 60 semester or 90 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• Associates Degree
• 90 semester or 135 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree
• Doctorate

04



TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION : The following questions are the Training and Experience (T&E) Examination. In addition to the City of Sacramento employment application, applicants must complete and submit online responses to the T&E questions. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. Therefore, your responses to the T&E Exam questions should be thorough and complete because the exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. In accordance with the City of Sacramento's Racial and Gender Equity Action Plan (RGEAP), this examination contains non-binary names and pronouns. For additional information regarding the City's RGEAP, please copy and paste the following link into a web browser: I understand and agree to the above instructions.

• Yes

05


Select all the boxes that best describes your experience interacting with community members and/or pet owners regarding:

• Relaying information regarding a pet
• Facilitating adoption counseling
• Identifying and matching appropriate placements for pet adoption or fostering
• Participate in the rescue and transfer of an animal
• Providing information related to a pet's medical and/or behavioral needs
• Providing information related to the safe handling of a pet
• Providing additional options for preventative care of a pet
• None of the above

06


Select the one option that best describes your experience recording behavior and medical observations and/or administering medication to animals under direction of the Veterinarian.

• Two years or more
• At least eighteen months, but less than two years
• At least one year, but less than eighteen months
• At least six months, but less than one year
• Less than six months

07


Select the one option that best describes your experience identifying safety precautions to safely handle aggressive, scared, and/or defensive animals.

• Two years or more
• At least eighteen months, but less than two years
• At least one year, but less than eighteen months
• At least six months, but less than one year
• Less than six months

08


Select the one option that best describes your experience handling and overseeing the care of sick and/or injured animals or animals with zoonotic diseases.

• Two years or more
• At least eighteen months, but less than two years
• At least one year, but less than eighteen months
• At least six months, but less than one year
• Less than six months

Required Question