Animal Care Attendant

The PositionThis is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on: 9/4/2026, 9/18/2026, 10/16/2026 (Final). Under general supervision, the Animal Care Attendant feeds and cares for animals and maintains safe and sanitary kennel facilities and equipment at the Sacramento County Animal Shelter.Examples of Knowledge and AbilitiesKnowledge of Practices, methods, and materials used in cleaning animal facilitiesFeeding and caring for animalsPhysical and behavioral characteristics of various animal speciesBasic symptoms of common animal diseasesAbility to Work with co-workers, staff, volunteers, and members of the general public from various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds in a courteous and effective mannerRead, write, and speak English at a level necessary for satisfactory job performanceWork safely with aggressive animalsLearn to euthanize animals in a safe and humane mannerLearn to operate the equipment used in handling various types of small and large animals, birds, reptiles, and livestockSafely operate a County vehicle in performance of dutiesEmployment QualificationsMinimum Qualifications Six months paid or unpaid full-time experience in the care and treatment of animals. Examples of qualifying experience are: veterinarian technician or helper, kennel attendant, S.P.C.A. attendant, zoo attendant, 4-H or farm experience, or animal training experience. Note: If the word "experience" is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements. General Qualifications Background/Criminal History Check : The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies and applicable federal and state laws. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate's ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained. The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act. Driver's License : A valid California Driver License, Class C or higher, may be required at the time of appointment. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate California Driver License may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Some positions in the Animal Care Attendant class series may require possession of a Registered Veterinary Technician license from the State of California. Failure to successfully obtain and maintain the required license may be cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Permit Requirement : In accordance with the State Veterinary Medical Board (VMB), incumbents appointed to this class shall be required to obtain a Veterinary Assistant Controlled Substance Permit within three months of appointment. Failure to successfully obtain and maintain the required permit may be cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Age Requirement : Minimum age - 18 years. Physical Requirements : Positions in this class require incumbents to be able to:Stand and walk for extended periods of time.Bend, stoop, squat, and crawl in small, low, and/or confined areas.Climb ladders and work at aboveground levels.Lift up to 40 pounds and occasionally lift up to 80 pounds with assistance.Individuals who do not meet these requirements due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Working Conditions: Positions in this class require the incumbents to:Be exposed to infectious, poisonous, and threatening animals.Be exposed to chemicals used to perform euthanasia.Work outdoor in all types of local weather conditions.Work around dust, dirt, and odors.Work in and around animal fur, dander and excrement.Work weekends, holidays, and non-routine hours, including fluctuating hours and after hours call outs.Work at various locations throughout the County.Wear a uniform that conforms to departmental standards. Probationary Period The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.Application and Testing Information APPLICATION Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here to apply. County of Sacramento Department of Personnel Services Employment Services Division 700 H Street, Room 4667 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone View phone number on click.appcast.io; 7-1-1 California Relay Service Email View email address on click.appcast.io Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667 applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application. SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response. Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.If the