Animal Protection Officer, Austin Animal Services; Animal Protection Division

About This Position

The Animal Protection Officer position reports to the Animal Services Supervisor and will enforce the laws and ordinances for the Austin/Travis County residents as they pertain to animal laws. This position provides education and resources to assist with the Austin Animal Services mission to gain compliance with state and local laws.

Under general supervision, perform tasks related to rabies control, impoundment, education and prevention services.

• Safely and humanely capture and transport animals, including those who are sick, injured or potentially dangerous.
• Investigate reports of rabies exposure, dangerous or vicious animals and proper care violations.
• Participate in prevention services such as teaching bite prevention classes, responsible pet ownership classes, etc.
• Contribute to the programs and services that support the shelter's live outcome goal.
• Establish quarantines and oversee home observations.
• Respond to observed or reported emergency situations and ordinance violations as well as after-hours emergency calls as needed at the request of citizens and other government agencies such as the Austin Police Department.
• Answer citizen questions and provide assistance, education regarding responsible animal ownership/ordinance requirements and assist in complaint mediation.
• Write reports and record data on appropriate log/forms.
• Dispatch service calls to field personnel.
• Issue citations; obtain affidavits and testify in court.
• Euthanize animals, when necessary, with understanding and compassion for the animal.

None.

Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.

• Knowledge of animal services and related programs.
• Knowledge of State and local laws, regulations and ordinances concerning animal related issues/complaints.
• Knowledge of City of Austin and Travis County streets, roads, etc.
• Skill in safely handling wild, domestic and livestock animals, including those with unknown temperament.
• Skill in using computers and related software applications.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining good working relationships with other City employees and the public.
• Skill in the use of tools used to capture, restrain and transport animals.
• Skill in verbal and written communication, including the ability to draft grammatically correct, concise reports under strict deadlines.
• Skill in public speaking.
• Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing and problem solving under pressure.
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions and changes in priorities.
• Ability to identify animal species and breeds.
• Ability to diffuse heated encounters, both human and animal.
• Adhere to disease management and safety protocols.

Graduation from an accredited high school or equivalent, plus one (1) year of experience in a field related to customer service.

• Valid Texas Class C Driver's License.
• Basic Animal Control Training must be completed within six (6) months of hire.
• Notary Public must be obtained within six (6) months of hire.
• Euthanasia Technician course must be completed and must pass exam within (6) months of hire.

• Demonstrated customer service experience with face-to-face customer interaction on a regular basis and in an animal field setting.
• Demonstrated experience handling animals in a work or volunteer setting.
• Demonstrated report writing and data entry experience, using clear and thorough, concise documentation that clearly articulates findings and is easy to understand.
• Demonstrated experience building and developing relationships across community networks or community-based programs.
• Bilingual (Spanish).

Austin Animal Services' mission is to enhance the lives of pets and people by preventing animal homelessness, to help lost pets find their way home or find new homes, to provide education and resources to preserve the human-animal bond, and to administer animal-related ordinances to ensure public and animal safety, all while achieving a 95% live outcome rate for sheltered pets.

We offer outstanding benefits including several health and welfare benefits such as low-cost medical, dental, vision, paid leave, a highly competitive retirement plan, training opportunities, and more.

Please be sure to detail on the application all previous employment that you wish to be considered as part of your qualifications. A detailed, complete employment application is required. It helps us to better evaluate your qualifications and will be used to determine salary if you are selected for this position. Be sure to provide job titles and employment dates for all jobs you wish to be considered.

A cover letter and résumé are…