Behavior and Care Technician I - Denver Animal Protection

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The salary range for this position is $21.26 - $31.89. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location

In this position you can expect to work on site at the Denver Animal Shelter, located at 1241 W. Bayaud Ave., Denver, CO 80223.

What You’ll Do

Denver Animal Protection (DAP) protects the safety and welfare of Denver’s animals and residents by fostering the human animal bond. DAP emphasizes public and animal safety and health, encourages responsible pet ownership through education and enforcing compliance with animal-related municipal code requirements, and cares for animals at the Denver Animal Shelter (DAS). More information can be found at: Denver Animal Protection .

We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive.

DAP is seeking a Behavior and Care Technician I to perform essential caretaking work for animals in custody of the shelter. In this role, you will ensure that all animals have a clean-living environment, drinking water and food as per feeding instructions, and reports health concerns to veterinary staff. Technicians are expected to perform a high level of animal care and customer care. The Behavior and Care Technician also participates in the Behavior and Enrichment programs by participating, assisting, and performing enrichment activities for the animals and animal behavioral evaluations.

If you’re looking for non-traditional work, Denver Animal Shelter may be what you’ve been looking for!

The Shelter has a combination of 4/10’s and 5/8’s shifts.

5/8’s shift times:

• Opening shifts: 6:30AM – 3:00PM Sunday - Saturday
• Mid Shifts: 8:30AM – 5:00PM Sunday – Saturday
• Closing Shifts: 8:30AM – 5:00PM Saturday - Sunday; 10:30AM – 7:00PM Monday - Friday

4/10’s shift times:

• Opening shifts: 6:30AM – 5:00PM Sunday - Saturday
• Evening Shifts: 6:30AM – 5:00PM Saturday - Sunday; 8:30AM - 7:00PM Monday - Friday

We are currently hiring for one position:

• 4/10’s evening shifts, working Friday-Monday

Additionally, the Behavior and Care Technician:

• Provides compassionate care including the basic needs of all animals in the Shelter and ensures that all animals have a safe and clean shelter environment. The Shelter receives animals of all species including dogs, cats, small mammals, reptiles, birds, and barnyard animals.
• Cleans and sanitizes all cages and kennels per Shelter protocols and keeps the facility, equipment, and tools clean.
• Works well in a team setting.
• May participate in breed evaluations for members of the public and for animals in the shelter.
• May participate in behavioral evaluations and assessments on animals in the shelter, including making outcome determinations.
• Participates in the Shelter’s enrichment programs, which includes but is not limited to walks, dog play groups, and cognitive and environmental enrichment opportunities for the animals.
• Observes animal appearance and activity for any behavioral or medical changes or concerns, reporting these changes to shelter management and recording observations in computer software.
• Performs intake exams on animals entering the shelter and administers vaccinations and medications when needed.
• Performs humane euthanasia on animals.
• Documents information about animals and facility operations per standard procedures including an inventory of animals and entering changes, head counts, daily logs, behavioral and medical observations, and other required information.
• Provides guidance, coaching, and training to volunteers, community service workers, and other staff.
• Along with all department staff, this position will actively participate on an emergency preparedness and response team to support DDPHE’s responsibilities outlined in the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. This may require being ‘on-call’ from time to time to help respond to emergencies.
• Additional training commensurate with assigned duties will be provided.
• Other duties as assigned.

This position is physically demanding with a lot of physical activity. Physical demands include lifting, standing for long periods of time, stooping, bending, climbing, pulling, pushing, and sometimes awkward physical movements. Employees in this position are required to take a Health Performance Evaluation (HPE), regarding this type of work, on an annual basis.

Denver Animal Protection is a 24/7 operation. This position requires the employee to work a variety of shifts (as listed above), including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. This shiftwork is a core function of this role. Furthermore, occasional overtime maybe required, depending on business needs.

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Have one (1) year of experience in animal care which includes working in a veterinary office, animal hospital, animal shelter, pet store, or other animal care facilities.
• Take initiative to help when needed and to complete projects.
• Be able to lift/carry up to 75 lbs.Commitment to science-based, fear-free handling and training methods.
• Euthanasia certification, or ability to be euthanasia certified at the Shelter within six months.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well in busy work environment where business needs may quickly change.
• Works well independently and in a team setting.
• Is self-motivated and well-organized.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education Requirement: Graduation from high school or possession of a GED, HiSET or TASC Certificate.
• Experience Requirement: One (1) year of experience performing technical or administrative work assisting in an environmental public health program as related to the assignment.
• Education and Experience Equivalency: A combination of appropriate education and experience may be substituted for the minimum education and experience requirements.
• License/Certification Requirement: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application.Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

This position requires a driver’s license and acceptable driving record and could be required to transport animals in City vehicles.

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until Friday, October 16, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than that date at 11:59 p.m. to ensure consideration.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CE3348 Environmental Public Health Technician I

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Unlimited

Position Salary Range

$21.26 - $31.89

Target Pay

$21.26 - $31.89

Agency

Dept of Public Health & Environment

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact View email address on aiapply.co with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.