Animal Control Kennel Assistant

The City of Richmond Animal Care and Control seeks a dynamic, enthusiastic, and hardworking person to join its team as an Animal Control Kennel Assistant. The incumbent is responsible for the cleaning, care and feeding of all animals housed in the city animal care facilities, as well as ensuring facilities are sanitized and properly prepared for animal care. The selected candidate will join a dynamic team of individuals focused on providing excellent, prompt, and accurate services to both external and internal customers while achieving the following mission:

To provide and maintain a healthy, safe environment for all animals in the kennel facility for the City of Richmond.

Richmond Animal Care and Control is committed to becoming an employer of choice and we are dedicated to the growth of our workforce. We value our employees and seek to attract and retain the best.
We are also committed to individual professional growth! The selected candidate will have the opportunity to attend applicable training and educational workshops.

• Assisting with placement and adoption of animals
• Cleaning the animals, the bay area, and cages
• Distributing food and water to the animals
• Assisting with the maintenance of the facility grounds
• Assisting in administering medication or vaccination to the animals
• Ensuring the safety and security of the animals housed
• Completing required paperwork on incoming and outgoing animals
• Maintaining inventory of the required supplies
• Performing other related duties as assigned

This position is considered an Essential Personnel, which means that the incumbent is required to work when the City is closed due to public emergencies, critical or hazardous conditions, or inclement weather. This individual may be required to work weekends and holidays, as needed.

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent
• No work experience required
• Experience working with animals preferred

• None required

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Distinguishing common intestinal parasites
• Symptoms of common viruses
• Behaviors and body language of animals
• Good knowledge of caring for dogs and cats and basic knowledge of caring for farm animals, birds, etc.
• Electronic databases and related software applications such as the shelter intake system,Shelter buddy
• First aid
• Animal CPR
• Proper animal handling
• Various animal shelter equipment and machines such as catch-poles,hide gloves, muzzles, flat leashes, power washers, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, etc.

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Assisting in the adoption process
• Feeding, watering, and walking animals
• Caring and handling both healthy and unhealthy animals with a variety of temperaments
• Cleaning
• Communicating with kennel staff and citizens
• Ensuring potential adopters find the best match based on information about home life and lifestyle
• Helping and assisting colleagues such as veterinarians when necessary
• Assisting with the euthanasia of animals
• Judging if an animal is aggressive, timid, scared, etc.
• Making habitats for wildlife
• Performing basic animal medical duties such as giving vaccinations, fluids and medications; drawing blood; replacing bandages, etc.
• Performing various maintenance tasks such as fixing a broken dog cage
• Using animal care and control equipment such as a catch-pole on a dog
• Customer service

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Communicate
• Lift heavy objects
• Maintain professional composure during emotional situations

Stand for long hours

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS:
Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, animal dander, and poor ventilation; inadequate…