Animal Care Technician

Summary

Animal Care Technician will be responsible for the general cleaning and comfort of the animals at the shelter. Technician will provide complete care for all animals as they are housed in the animal shelter. This position additionally provides general care, feeding, exercising, and grooming of animals. The work is conducted both indoors and outdoors, requiring exposure to weather conditions, and does involve extensive physical labor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Performs departmental specific functions by cleaning and disinfecting kennels and cages, litter boxes, feeding utensils, pans and equipment, etc.; launder animal bedding and towels, sweeping and mopping floors, removing trash and cleaning dog yards of waste.

• Provides general care and feeding of animals by feeding, watering, exercising, and bathing.

• Monitors animal health conditions, and records general observations.

• Unloads and stores food shipments, cat litter, and cleaning chemicals.

• Participate in dog playgroups and general animal evaluations to provide appropriate enrichment and maintain records of an animal's behavior.

• Disposes of deceased animals.

• Handles and processes a wide variety of animals.

• Unloads and stores food shipments, cat litter, and cleaning chemicals.

• Communicate clearly with employees verbally and in writing.

• Additional tasks assigned by the Shelter Supervisor and Director.

• Represent Garland Animal Services by providing excellent customer service and focus.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED)

• Must be able to work with cats, dogs, and other pet species.

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

Preferred Qualifications

Education/ Experience:

• Six months up to and including two years in animal care or related experience. Training preferred but not required.

• Bilingual in Spanish preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to write information accurately and legibly on forms and records.

• Ability to work in any weather or environmental conditions.

• Ability to safely care for and handle all types of animals.

• Must demonstrate professionalism on and off the job.

• Ability to be punctual and attend work regularly.

• Must have good people skills as well as coaching and training skills

• Ability to prioritize and manage workload

Licenses and Certifications

• Valid Class C Texas driver's license

Physical Requirements / Work Environment

Physical Demands

The position is regularly required to use hands and fingers, to talk and hear, to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel and crouch. The position holder must be able to regularly lift (and/or) move up to 50 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required for this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to focus.

While performing the duties of this job this position may be exposed to odors and airborne particles.

The noise level in the work environments are normally moderate but may occasionally be high.

Working Conditions

The individual performing this job may be required to work more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week.

The job may require adjusting work hours within a typical work week to accommodate training schedule.

The job requires driving to different training locations.