Animal Care Attendant

Animal Care Attendant

This recruitment is being held to establish an open eligible list to fill current and future Animal Care Attendant vacancies within OC Animal Care. The eligible list may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower-level classifications throughout the County of Orange. Deadline to apply: Friday, May 29, 2026, at 11:59 PM (PT). Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.

OC Animal Care promotes responsible pet ownership, the health and safety of people and animals, and spay/neuter programs. OC Animal Care provides temporary shelter and medical care for "lost" owned or stray animals, as well as opportunities for the adoption of these animals.

The Animal Care Attendant cares for animals housed at the OC Animal Care Shelter, facilitates adoption and placement visits for available animals, receives and accepts incoming animals, provides education and information to the public, and maintains facilities at the animal shelter. Additional duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Works independently and prioritizes tasks according to daily workflow
• Interacts safely and professionally with coworkers, supervisors, and the public
• Assists in the release of animals to owners
• Works with computer programs to document animal information
• Provides animal restraint or other simple assistance to veterinary staff during basic medical procedures or examinations as needed
• Makes minor repairs to shelter facilities

OC Animal Care provides municipal sheltering and field services to the public and may house a variety of domestic or wild animals. Incumbents should be comfortable caring for and handling animals such as dogs, cats, small mammal pets, reptiles, livestock, wildlife indigenous to Orange County, and non-native exotic animals; as well as other animal species which may be housed at the OC Animal Care Shelter. Housed animals exhibit a variety of temperaments and may not always be cooperative during handling, care, or medical treatments.

Work Schedule: Incumbents should be prepared to work rotating shifts, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays on a four day per week, 10 hours per day schedule, or five day per week, 8 hours per day schedule, or another schedule as assigned. Incumbents may be drafted for mandatory overtime in the event of an emergency, disaster, or during periods of unexpected staffing shortages.

Desirable Qualifications and Core Competencies In addition to the experience and training stated in the minimum qualifications, the successful candidate will possess 3 months of experience working or volunteering in a position that deals with the handling of animals. A technical/associate degree, or higher, in a related discipline such as Animal Science, Animal Behavior, Biology, Zoology, Ecology, Wildlife Management, Veterinary Technology, or Communications will substitute for the three months experience. The successful candidate will also possess the knowledge and/or experience in the following core competencies:

Technical Expertise

• Working with computers and computer program such as Microsoft Word and Outlook, and is able to read, understand, and implement academic material
• Demonstrating strong writing skills
• Working experience in animal behavioral evaluation or assessment
• Handling of domestic or wild animals including maintenance and care
• Maintaining sufficient content and knowledge to perform all aspects of the job effectively

Oral Communication & Writing Skills

• Exchanging accurate and concise information with others both orally and in writing
• Relaying confidence when communicating information; clearly and concisely composes written documents to convey information with accuracy
• Following written and oral instruction effectively
• Interpreting and applying oral/written instructions
• Listening actively to others for full understanding of what is being communicated
• Communicating with members of the public in a variety of situations displaying social skill, awareness, and tact

Customer Service & Problem-Solving Skills

• Providing courteous and professional customer service to all clients
• Applying knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services including complex problem solving to manage stressful situations effectively
• Applying knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, and other office procedures and terminology
• Anticipating and meeting customer (internal/external) needs in all situations

Organizing & Planning Skills

• Demonstrating organizing and planning skills to ensure high productivity and efficiency
• Working independently and managing time to effectively prioritize multiple and competing tasks
• Meeting departmental and project goals and deadlines by prioritizing workload and projects

Minimum Qualifications Click here for the complete classification description for Animal Care Attendant including the minimum qualifications.

Recruitment Process Human Resource Services (HRS) screens all application materials for minimum and desirable qualifications. After screening, applicants who meet the minimum and desirable qualifications will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process. All applicants will be notified via email of their status in the process.

Online Multiple Choice (Weighted 100%) An online multiple-choice assessment consisting of job-related, questions will be administered. Only the highest scoring candidates will be placed on the eligible list.

Based on the Department's needs, the recruitment procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedure.

Eligible List Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

Veterans Employment Preference The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.

Email Notification Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account. Note: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at

Frequently Asked Questions Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions. For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, contact Jamiee Lang at View email address on click.appcast.io.

EEO Information Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.