Animal Services Officer

Animal Control Officer

Working for the City of McKinney is more than a job. It is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. It is also an opportunity to have a hand in the development of one of the fastest growing communities in the nation. Proudly recognized on the Top Workplaces USA list by USA TODAY, our team is dedicated to making McKinney one of the best places to work, live, and raise a family. That's why we exist. Join us and start making a difference today. Our core values are Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence (RISE). We are also supported by servant-based leaders who foster and support a healthy, family-oriented culture. All new employees are expected to embrace and live by our core values and commit to helping us sustain our exceptional work environment as a high performance organization (HPO).

The purpose of the position is to enforce the city ordinance regarding animal services. Employees in this classification perform technical and skilled level work. Position is responsible for addressing owner responsibility; nuisance complaints; hurt, stray, or unwanted animals and wildlife. Enforces state laws pertaining to rabies. Performs related work as required.

Essential Functions/Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

General expectations for all employees include understanding how team, department, and City goals are interconnected, contributing to a positive work culture, maintaining regular and reliable attendance, ability to assess work performance, contributing to the development of others, ability and willingness to work as part of a team, ability to continuously learn and develop through a mix of internal and external training opportunities.

• Patrols the city for compliance with animal ordinances, responds to calls for service from the public involving animal cruelty, neglect, dangerous dog, animals at large, lost, stray sick and injured animals, barking dogs or unwanted wildlife; loose livestock; and removal of deceased animals.
• Captures stray, vicious, injured or sick animals; returns animals to owners if possible or transports animals for impound to the shelter.
• Works closely with partner agencies contracted to operate the shelter and provide medical care to the animals under the city's care.
• Gains the public's compliance with the city's rabies vaccine requirements through education and enforcement.
• Answers inquiries and educates the public on city ordinances and provides general pet care and responsible pet ownership information.
• Works daily with animals of varying sizes and temperaments, handling them in a humane and respectful manner.
• Investigates and cites for violations and criminal offences of the animal ordinances and other related animal laws. Participates in court preparation and testifies in municipal and circuit court for criminal cases.
• Writes reports and maintains investigative records and evidence in accordance with department policy.
• Collaborates with sworn personnel on investigations into animal crimes. Assists sworn personnel on police calls; impounding pets in cases where the owner is deceased, arrested, or experiencing a medical emergency.
• Prepares and presents animal welfare presentations to schools, clubs, agencies, media and the general public.
• Assists and coordinates with other city departments, law enforcement agencies and private organizations in special assignments regarding animal-related issues and to provide comprehensive enforcement of the law.
• Actively supports and respects diversity in the workplace and helps create a supportive workplace for all employees.

Other job functions include performing other duties as assigned or directed (of a similar nature or level) as required by management to meet the needs of the department.

• Ability to embrace and embody the City's core values of Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence (R.I.S.E.).
• Ability to communicate effectively with peers, supervisors, subordinates, and people to whom service is provided.
• Ability to produce desired work outcomes, including quality, quantity, and timeliness.
• Ability to plan and organize work, time, and resources, and if applicable, that of subordinates.
• The ability to work in a team environment; contribute as a team member and treat co-workers, subordinates and customers with respect.
• Build professional relationships with internal staff and customers.
• Offer flexibility and adaptability, especially during times of change.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data and/or information. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.
• Requires the ability provide guidance, assistance, and/or interpretation to others on how to apply procedures and standards to specific situations.
• Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of descriptive data and information, such as city ordinance and the Texas Department of Health's Health and Safety Code regarding the enforcement of the Rabies Act.
• Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Requires ability to apply principles of rational systems. Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form. Ability to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
• Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving a variety of generally pre-defined duties which are often characterized by frequent change.
• Requires the ability to perform coordinated movements involving placing and turning motions, such as utilizing a snake tongs, restraint poles, traps, and syringes/needles (euthanasia).

Required Qualifications

Minimum qualifications include a high school diploma or GED, Basic Animal Control and Euthanasia certifications, ability to pass a physical appropriate to the physical demands of this position, and possession and maintenance of a Class C Driver's License in good standing. On-call and alternate working shifts, including weekends, may be required, and must be able to respond to call outs within 30 minutes. May be required to receive rabies pre-exposure vaccinations.

• Bi-Lingual (Spanish-English) preferred.
• Animal handling experience.

Conditions of employment include passing a drug screen and background check, and possession of Class C Texas Driver's License.

Physical Demands/Supplemental

Positions in this classification frequently bend, stoop, kneel, and reach animals. Positions in this classification frequently lift, move, and carry animals and/or supplies that typically weigh up to 100 pounds. The position requires firm grasping and wrist extension and rotation on a frequent basis. The position is frequently exposed to loud noise such as barking of dogs and other animal noises. The position works outdoors as well as indoors and is subject to variable weather conditions (e.g. dirt, cold, rain, fumes, strong odors, smoke, toxic chemicals, pollen, dust, etc) and exposure to animal bites and scratches hazards (vicious, wild, rabid animals, dust mites, etc.), and potentially infectious diseases or allergies.

Benefits

The City offers a full complement of benefits including Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance), Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Medical and Childcare Account (FSA), Mental Health Care and Employee Assistance Program (EAP), City-paid and Voluntary Life Insurance, City-paid and Voluntary Long Term Disability Insurance, Supplemental Insurance through Aflac, Legal Services through Legal Shield, Tuition Reimbursement (up to $10,000 per year), Wellness Program (earn up to $600 per year), Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) with mandatory 7% employee contribution, city match 2:1, 5 year vesting, retire after 20 years of service, or age 60 with 5 years of service, 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plans, Paid Time Off (PTO) including Paid Vacation (80 hours per year for new hires; tiered increases after 2 yrs), Sick Leave (135 hours per year for yourself and immediate family), Paid Parental Leave (80 hours for birth, adoption, or placement of a child in foster care), Ten Paid Holidays, Personal Day, Optional compensatory time for hourly employees, Compensatory time for salaried employees.